A Game of Sorrows
by DarkNovelist1217
Summary: The multiverse was finally at peace. Yuu was gone, and White Steel Wrath had been destroyed. But now a new threat has arisen, along with a deadly new tournament. When the previous saviors of the multiverse are killed, the fate of the worlds is now in their children's hands. Mostly OC leads. Language, violence, and later sexual content. Post OBT/GOB. Part 3 of the Blademaster saga.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Let the Games Begin**

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**Karakura University, Karakura Town**

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**Three years after the defeat of Yuu**

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_**Hisana**_

* * *

"Hisana, are you ready to go?" said the tall woman behind me.

I turned away from my painting and smiled up at her.

"Yes, Evelyn, I think I've done enough for one day." I replied.

The woman smiled at me with her bright amber eyes. "Alright, I'll be waiting in the hallway."

I nodded and made to collect my things. My name is Hisana Takanashi. I look like an adult, I act like an adult, and I think like an adult, but the truth is- I'm really only three years old. You see, I'm not exactly what you'd call 'normal'. I have two mothers, neither of which are human, and an older sister, Shinzo Takanashi (though technically we are the same age, she was born a few minutes before I was, a fact she never fails to remind me of). Mama says I am the spitting image of kaa-san, the only difference being that my eyes are sapphire blue instead of emerald green. Everyone in my family may look normal, but we have a few secrets that we keep hidden from the general public: We can see the dead, we have an unusually high resistance to pain, my birth mother is ghostly pale, my kaa-san is a vampire, and my sister and I have these special swords that mama calls 'zanpakuto', which supposedly have names, but neither me or my sister have yet to figure them out. We use these swords to fight evil lost spirits called 'hollows'. Very few people are aware of these secrets. Evelyn Koutari is one of them, since she is similar in several ways to me and Shinzo. She is also my best friend, and stuck with me even when I entered Karakura University to get my degree in art. I finished collecting my things, and went outside to join my tall tan friend. Honestly, I'm a little jealous of Evelyn. She's at least half a foot taller than me and Shinzo, has long flowing lavender hair, beautiful amber eyes, naturally tan skin, and is a bit more…developed in the chest area. I walked alongside my tall friend as we made our way through the halls of the university and out into downtown Karakura. There was a dark haired woman leaning on a green sports car waiting for us by the side of the road. Seeing us, she stared through her glasses and settled her emerald eyes on me.

"There you are, you two. Have a good day?" she said in a melodious voice.

I nodded and smiled happily. "Yes we did, nee-chan."

Shinzo smiled. "Good to hear, Hisana."

My sister opened the passenger side door and gestured toward it.

"Your chariot awaits, my lady."

Giggling lightly, I said farewell to Evelyn and climbed inside the car. Shinzo started it up and we were on our way home. The drive usually takes around 20 minutes, since we live close to the riverbank, so Shinzo figured she'd turn on the radio and listen to some music. Luckily for me, there was a marathon of songs by Yousei Teikoku, my favorite band. Shinzo smiled as I hummed along to the music, she knew I loved the band. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she knew about the marathon today. She always loved to make me happy. However, right as they were entering the second verse of 'Warheit', the station got interrupted.

"Attention! This is an emergency broadcast! All citizens in all worlds must listen!" came the voice of a worried announcer.

"All worlds? What do you think it could be, nee-chan?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but they hardly ever broadcast across the whole multiverse, so it must be important." replied Shinzo.

Thanks to a massive event three years ago, every world in the multiverse was now connected. In the event of another cross-dimensional scale crisis, the emergency broadcast station was set up.

"An enormous dark sphere is appearing in the sky of every world!" continued the announcer. "It does not appear to be doing anything, but—wait, what's that? Oh…oh my god! There are creatures coming out of the sphere! Strange white creatures without faces! Oh my god, they're everywhere! They're attacking everything! Wait—no, no get away from me! No…NO….AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!(static)"

Both Shinzo and I looked at each other with shocked faces. The shock fading, we both nodded and Shinzo stepped on the gas. We both knew that if something big was happening, then there was someone we had to notify: mama. Mama was a powerful warrior, and had been responsible for ending the last war. If anyone could shed some light on the situation, it was her. Shinzo slammed on the brakes, and we came to screeching halt at the end of our driveway. My sister turned to me.

"Hisana, go tell mama about what's happening! I'm gonna go get Evelyn and Ms. Inoue!" she instructed.

I nodded. "Got it! Be careful, nee-chan."

"You too, nee-san. I couldn't live with myself if I lost you."

Quickly, I got out of the car and ran up to our house. Looking up, I saw that the announcer had been right. There was a gargantuan orb of swirling darkness hovering in the sky. It looked like some kind of miniature black sun. Ignoring the orb, I ran inside the house.

"Mama? Yomi kaa-san?" I called.

I heard no answer. I called again.

"Hi…san…a…" came a weak voice.

I ran into the living room, instantly recognizing my birth mother's voice. I froze when I saw the scene laid out before me. The living room was torn apart, with blue/black blood and green/back blood scattered about everywhere. Achreios, a magic demon-slaying sword my mother had been given by a great warrior, was stuck into the wall. And in the middle of it all lay mama, her face wet with blood and tears as her head rested in a pile of ash.

"Mama!" I cried as I ran to her.

I knelt down and held my mother in my arms, gasping when I caught sight of a bloody fist sized hole in the center of her chest. My mother gasped for breath and weakly opened her eyes to look at me.

"Mama! What happened?"

"A man…with pink hair…he attacked us…reopened my old wound…took what was left…of Soul Edge out of me…" my mother wheezed.

"Where's Yomi kaa-san?" I looked around for my other mother.

Mama glanced over at the pile of ash at her side. "Yomi…didn't make it…"

My eyes widened as realization struck me. The pile of ash was all that was left of kaa-san. Somehow, someone had managed to kill her. Mama coughed violently in my arms, spewing up a fair amount of blue/black blood.

"Mama!" I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes.

My mother forced herself to smile at me. "Hisana…I'm so proud of you and Shinzo…you've become such a good girl…I'm happy…that I got to have…such wonderful children…maybe this time…I'll finally get to heaven…"

"Mama…please…don't go…" I begged. I could feel tears streaming down my face. This couldn't be happening. How could anyone possibly beat mama?

My mother gave me a weak hug. "I love you…Hisana…my wonderful daughter…"

"Mama!" I wrapped my arms around her.

I felt her twitch a little then rest her head on my shoulder.

"Before…I go…I have…a gift…"

I felt something go through me. Looking down, I saw mama sticking a glowing blue sword of energy into my chest. Surprisingly, I felt no pain. Instead, I felt…powerful. Mama held the sword in place for a moment longer before it faded and she collapsed against me.

"There…that should do it…" she gasped.

"What did you…?"

"I gave you…the last of my…spiritual energy…use it…it will help you… learn the name…of your zanpakuto…" her breathing was more ragged now. She was nearly gone.

"Mama…"

"Find…your sister…use…my power…take down…the bastard who did this…but above…all else…" she managed to lift her head to look at my face. With a final forced smile, she whispered her last words. "Be…safe…"

With that, she closed her eyes and was still. I sat there for a moment, tears flowing from my eyes as I came to terms with what had just happened. My mother, the mighty warrior who had saved the entire multiverse, and had given birth to me and my sister, was dead. I wrapped my arms around my mother's still form, and cried like I had never cried before. When I had finally shed all of my tears, I went outside, Achreios and a small satchel slung across my back and my mother's star pendant clutched tightly in my hand. As I began to walk down the driveway, I felt a large tremor surge thought the ground. I turned back to my house. Suddenly, a large holographic projection of a man in a black coat appeared in front of the dark orb in the sky. The man had blue eyes, and wavy shoulder length pink hair. His lips were curled up in a devious smile. I had no doubt just by looking at him that this man was the one who had killed my mothers.

"_Greetings, citizens of the multiverse."_ the hologram said. _"I am Marluxia, the one who created these mysterious dark spheres and unleashed my armies of dusks and other foul monsters on your worlds. Just moments ago, I slew Ebony Takanashi, your most powerful champion. There is no doubt that my armies have taken over your worlds, and if not then are in the process of doing so. I will be blunt, they are without end and they cannot be stopped. As of now, all of your worlds belong to me."_

I glared at the hologram. So Marluxia was his name. Good, now I know what to write on his tombstone.

"_However,"_ Marluxia's hologram continued. _"I am not so terrible a dictator as to not give you a chance. Where would the fun in that be? I am prepared to offer you all a chance to win back your freedom, in the form of…a tournament!"_

I stared in confusion. "Tournament?"

"_Yes, a tournament."_ as if he could actually hear me. _"I have 42 powerful guardians serving under me that have been scattered across fourteen worlds. However, you will not be able to face the final three until the other 39 have been defeated or destroyed. If one of your warriors manages to best my champions, then I will allow them a chance to face me in battle. If they should win then, I will call back my armies and surrender. Sound fair enough to you?"_

Of course not. 42 guardians? If they were anything like Marluxia, then it would be impossible. Only a fool would try to compete in a tournament like that.

"_Oh, and to make things more interesting, I will grant the winner any wish they desire. With the power I have obtained, anything is possible for me. I can make you rich, make you a god, I could even, say…bring someone back to life."_

It felt as though that last statement had been directed at me. Even the hologram seemed to be staring down at me, as if challenging me to participate. I glared at the hologram. Fine, if he wanted me to play his game, then he couldn't have given me any better motivation.

The hologram smiled, as if reading my thoughts. _"I hope you don't disappoint me. Good luck challengers, let the games begin."_

The hologram of Marluxia disappeared. With vengeance on my mind, I set out into the city to find my sister and friend. If winning this game would bring mama back and give me chance to kick Marluxia's ass, then that was a risk I was willing to take.

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**A/N:** And so it begins again, the tournament has returned! Lol. I actually hadn't planned on making this a story, but the idea got in my head and it wouldn't go away until I wrote it so there you go. I will try to make this story as good as Game of Blades, maybe even better. Who knows, maybe it'll be even more popular than that one! By the way, I have not decided on who all of the guardians are yet, so if there's someone you want to see show up for a fight in this story, then let me know via review or pm. It can anyone from anything, hero or villain (although villain is preferred.) Well, that's all for now. Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Unexpected Ally**

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**Karakura Town**

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_**Hisana**_

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I ran as fast as I could from my house into the residential area of town, sword and satchel in tow. Before I did anything else, I thought it best to try and meet up with Evelyn and my sister. Since Shinzo had been headed in the direction of Ms. Inoue's house, I figured I'd start there. I put my mother's necklace in my pocket and dashed through the streets. To my surprise, they were vacant. Maybe the appearance of that giant dark orb in the sky drove them away. Regardless, I was determined to meet with my friends. However, when I was around a block away from Inoue's house, I saw an enormous pillar of blue light burst skyward.

"**YOU BASTARDS!"** screamed a voice, followed by the familiar roar of at least a dozen hollows.

If Evelyn was upset about something, then it was imperative to calm her down immediately. When she gets mad, her rage is released in the form of demonic energy, usually blue hellfire. Judging by the size of the pillar that rose up a few moments ago, she was pretty damn mad. Calling forth my still nameless zanpakuto, I leapt over the fence and into the yard. Evelyn was surrounded by at dozens of hollows and strange white creatures without faces. My friend was surrounded by a blue aura, and her appearance had changed dramatically. The top half of her face was now hidden behind an eyeless skull mask, her regular clothing had disappeared, and her lower arms and legs were covered in bonelike plating. A short skirt decorated with skulls covered her waist, and what looked like some kind of bikini top covered her large bosom. But the most noticeable change was the fact that she now had a white vertebrae like tail hanging from her waist. The swarm of creatures took notice of me, and some of their number started to creep towards me. The rest of the mob all leapt at my friend.

"Evelyn!" I called as I dodged a swipe from a hollow.

I took advantage of its careless staggering to send a quick cut across its face. The hollow grunted in pain before dissolving, and I turned back to the rest of the creatures. The mob growled and began to simultaneously leap at me. I dodged, blocked, and countered as best I could, but I was quickly being forced to my knees. If I were Shinzo, half the mob would most likely be dead by now. She always was a better fighter. But if she saw me like this now, then she'd be disappointed in me. With that in mind, I stood up and took the rest of my portion of the swarm head on. Surprised by my sudden outburst, the creatures paused for a moment before my sword promptly decapitated them. Within a few minutes, the last of the swarm around me was dead. I had been hit many times, but the pain quickly subsided as my injuries quickly healed themselves. Readying my sword again, I charged over to the swarm around Evelyn. Suddenly, a large portion of her opponents were cut to shreds. Confused, I watched as the rest of the group quickly followed suit. As the last of the creatures faded into nothing, I saw the reason behind their sudden demise. Evelyn stood holding a pair of curved blades connected to chains that wrapped around her wrists. My friend looked around her, trying to find more things to take her rage out on. I slowly sheathed my sword and walked over to her.

"Evelyn, it's me. It's Hisana. Please, calm down, Evelyn." I said carefully.

Evelyn turned toward me. I couldn't tell if it was working or not because of the mask over her eyes.

"**Hisana? Is that you?" **she said in her altered voice.

"Yes Evelyn, I'm here. What happened? Why are you so upset?"

"**It's…Inoue…she's…gone…th**ey killed her…" her voice was slowly returning to normal.

The fiery aura around Evelyn disappeared, along with her weapons. Her clothing went back to normal, and she collapsed to her knees with her head hung low. I walked over and knelt down beside my tall friend, resting a hand on her shoulder for reassurance.

"She was like another mom to me…she's looked after me ever since kaa-san died…" Evelyn said to herself.

I knew how she must have felt, so I hugged her close. "I know."

We stayed like this for a few moments so that she could let out her grief. When she was finished, my friend regained her composure and rose to her feet.

"Thank you." she said, wiping away the last of her tears.

I nodded. Then I remembered why I came here in the first place.

"Evelyn, I'm looking for nee-san. She was headed your way the last time I saw her. Have you seen her?"

My friend shook her head. "I haven't seen her since she picked you up at school. But I think I saw her car go past me when that weirdo with the pink hair started talking. Other than that, nothing."

I lowered my gaze a little. "I see…"

"Hisana, are you feeling alright? I'm feeling a lot more energy from you than usual."

"That's probably because mama gave me the last of her power. She said it would help me learn my sword's name."

"Last of her power? You mean Mrs. Ebony is…"

I nodded. "Yes. Yomi kaa-san as well."

"Damn…I'm sorry, Hisana. You knew your parents longer than I knew mine, so I can only imagine how you feel." Evelyn gave me a comforting hug. "It's ok to let it out, you did the same for me."

I welcomed the gesture, and did the same. "I've already shed all my tears."

Evelyn simply nodded and stroked my back. After a few minutes, we decided that the best thing we could do now was head to Urahara's Shop. Mr. Urahara usually had a clue about what was going on, so we figured he might know where we can find Shinzo. We decided to borrow Ms. Inoue's car, and took off down the street. While we were driving, Evelyn glanced over at my satchel.

"What's in the bag?" she asked while keeping her eyes forward.

"A few clothes, some money, and a few portraits. Even if mama and kaa-san are gone, I don't want to forget them."

Evelyn smiled. "Good thinking."

"By the way, what was that back at your house? I've seen you get angry before, but you never transformed like that."

"I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with my heritage. According to Ms. Inoue, my mother could do the same thing when she was angry or upset."

I nodded. "That would make sense."

After a few more minutes of driving, we arrived at Urahara's Shop. However, we were not the only ones who had decided to pay the ex-captain a visit. Standing amidst the smoldering remains of what was once the shop, was an enormous mass of fire and shadow that stood around 30 feet high. A pair of pitch-black bat like wings jutted out from the shadow, along with a long tail. Whatever the thing was, it took notice of us and slowly turned around, causing a slight tremor with each step it took. Finally, the monster reared its ugly head in our direction. It had two large curved horns, an almost skeletal nose, and its eyes were aglow with pure fire and rage. It opened its jaws and let out a powerful deep roar, fire spewing from its mouth as it did so. I summoned my zanpakuto, and Evelyn transformed.

"What the hell is that thing?!" I asked.

"**I don't know, but whatever it is it looks like it took out Urahara and the others!" **Evelyn noted.

I grit my teeth. Everyone around me was dying, but why? Was Marluxia trying to mess with my head? Or was he just trying to make me more motivated to kill him? Either way, vengeance was due, and I was not about to let this monster cause any more harm. I charged toward the monster and slashed at where I thought its feet would be. My sword struck something, and the monster let out a growl of pain, just before kicking me with its large foot. I flew straight into the car we had used to get here. If I were a normal human, that probably would have killed me. Shaking off the injuries, I stood up and joined Evelyn for a combined attack at the beast. This time the monster drew a hand holding a sword of pure fire from within the depths of the shadow around him, and swung to meet our blows. His blade collided with ours, and we were tossed back. Evelyn got up first this time, and threw her blades at the monster. It caught the weapons in its empty hand, and yanked her toward it. Evelyn was pulled close, and the monster prepared to slash her with its sword.

"Evelyn!" I yelled.

Quickly getting up, I flash stepped to the monster's sword arm and swung. With a loud roar, the monster reeled back its arm, and the fire sword disintegrated. Free from the beast's grasp, Evelyn flung her blades at its head. The curved weapons latched onto one of the monster's horns, and Evelyn pulled with all her might. The monster fell to its knees with its head yanked toward the side, struggling against Evelyn's grip. While she held the monster in place, Evelyn proceeded to repeatedly sock it in the face. I also took advantage of the immobilization and began to slash away at a glowing spot on the monster's chest. Magma like blood began to pour out of its body after I had made a decent cut in its rock like hide. Enraged and in pain, the monster suddenly surged with strength and freed itself from Evelyn's hooks, grabbing her and throwing her at me. Both of us were knocked into a remnant of the shop, with Evelyn on top of me. I tried to get my friend to rise, but she had struck her head against the debris and was out cold. The monster shook off the pain of its injuries, and held out its hand again. This time a long whip composed entirely of flame formed in its hand, and it lashed out at us. I managed to shove Evelyn out of the way and rolled us aside as the whip smashed our previous position. The monster glared and cracked its whip before preparing to attack again. I stood up and readied my sword. If I was about to die, then I would die standing up. The monster roared and swung its arm toward me. _If only I had been stronger, then I might've had a chance…_ I thought as the whip came close to striking me. However, it stopped just before contact, along with everything else in the world. Somehow, it seemed as though time had stopped for everyone but me.

"_There is strength within you. If you desire it, you need only call my name."_ a woman's voice said in my mind.

I suddenly felt a wave of power surge through me, along with words that begged to be released. Taking a stance, I held my zanpakuto horizontally and shouted.

"Soar, Tenshi no Shirayuki!" (angel of white snow)

A brilliant light surrounded me as time resumed, causing the monster in front of me to recoil and shield its eyes. When the light finally cleared, I no longer held a sword in my hand. Instead, I now had a pure white naginata with a ribbon trailing from the base of its blade. My eyes traveled along the length of the weapon in awe. Its handle was at least 4 feet long with an 18-inch long blade. This was my zanpakuto's true form.

"_Do not forget where you are, your life is still in danger." _came the woman's voice again.

I snapped back to reality in time to dodge a lash from the monster's fire whip. Readying my naginata, I charged forward. The monster swung his whip to intercept me, but to both our surprise his weapon froze solid upon coming in contact with mine. Taking advantage of his momentary shock, I slashed upwards, shattering his whip to pieces. While the monster roared in angry confusion, I surged forward again and thrust my blade into his midsection. Pulling out, I then quickly sent a quick series of slashes at his chest, creating an opening in the center. I leapt back as he tried to grab me.

"_Good. Now that he is vulnerable, call on me and end this battle with the next blow."_

"Got it!" I said mentally.

I positioned my naginata so that it was pointing straight at the glowing opening in the monster's chest. I felt a rush of power surge through me as a white glow surrounded my body. More words flew into my mind, and I was more than happy to speak them.

"Tengoku tsume mai!" (heavenly talon dance)

Almost reflexively, I swung my blade in a diagonal arc. A stream of white light rapidly descended from the sky and mirrored my movement, directly striking the weak point on the monster. A large gush of magma erupted from the spot on the monster's chest as he roared in pain. I swung a few more times in an almost dance like fashion, and the light descended again. The last few hits struck, and the monster groaned before his torso slid off his waist and he collapsed. The fire and shadow that surrounded his body disappeared, leaving only charred black remains behind. I took that as a sign that it was completely dead, and dropped to my knees in exhaustion. As I sat there I took another look at my zanpakuto. I now noticed there was an angel decoratively etched into the length of the blade.

"Tenshi no Shirayuki…" I whispered.

"_Whenever you need me, Hisana, you need only call. You and I exist together. My strength is your strength."_ my zanpakuto replied mentally.

"Thank you, I will."

Remembering my injured friend, I went over to where Evelyn lay unconscious. I nudged her a few times, and she began to stir. I sighed in relief as she rubbed the back of her head and slowly opened her eyes.

"Damn, I'm gonna be feeling that for a while. Did we win?" she said.

I nodded. "Yeah, I managed to beat him. And look!" I held my naginata out for her to see.

Evelyn's eyes widened at the sight of the weapon. "No way…is that your zanpakuto?"

"You bet! Her name is Tenshi no Shirayuki."

"Her?"

"It, uh…kinda talks to me in my head. It's voice sounded like a woman's."

"Okay...weirdness aside, I'm glad you've managed to learn the name of your sword. If I remember correctly, didn't Mrs. Ebony's zanpakuto have a similar name?"

"That's right! Hers was called Sode no Shirayuki." (sleeve of white snow)

"Heh, looks like we both got something special from our parents. Maybe my hooks have something to do with my birth mother. I never met her, so I can't be sure."

"As far as I know, the only thing I got from Yomi kaa-san was my looks."

We both laughed at this, but our joy was cut short when a massive swarm of hollows and those weird faceless creatures surrounded us. We instantly assumed fighting positions and got back to back. The creatures began to rapidly attack us in waves, barely giving us time to recover. We were already worn out from our battle with the fire monster from moments ago. It wouldn't be long now before they would overrun us. Both Evelyn and I were now on our knees, too exhausted to stand. The swarm lunged to finish us off.

"Alright, that's enough of that." said a very laid back male voice.

Suddenly a wall of flame rose around me and Evelyn, followed by two flaming spiked chakrams flying from out nowhere and cutting the mob to bits. A figure wearing a back cloak like Marluxia jumped down next to us, the wall of fire bursting and vanishing as he hit the ground. The figure stood up and held out his hands. The chakrams cast off their flames and flew to his waiting hands. I tried to rise to my feet, and took a stance in preparation.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa calm down! I'm not here to fight!" the figure said. He snapped his fingers, and the chakrams disappeared. "See? Not an enemy."

I narrowed my eyes at the figure. "How can I be sure you're not Marluxia in disguise?"

"Marluxia? Oh right, the cloak! Sorry, its been awhile since I've had the chance to see people."

The figure pulled down his hood, revealing a long red spiky mane. He had green eyes with teardrop tattoos beneath either eye, and an all-knowing smirk spread over his mouth. He was…pretty handsome. He must have noticed me staring, because then his smirk turned into a wide grin as he held out his hand.

"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

The three of us decided to spend the night at a nearby hotel. (neither Evelyn nor I wanted to sleep in our homes, especially since our loved ones had died there) Axel explained to us that he and Marluxia were once part of a group known as Organization XIII, and somehow the two of them had been brought back to life. He didn't know how, but Marluxia had suddenly attained an incredible amount of power, enough to consider him an almost godlike being. He revealed part of his plan for the tournament to Axel, but that was not in the pyro's interests.

"He tried to make me into one of his guardians," Axel explained as we sat in the main room. "but I wasn't about to become someone's errand boy again, so I bolted. He sent a whole shitload of dusks after me, but I took care of them. I remembered him talking about some people who might be able to win his game, and how he was going to get rid of them, so I came here to warn your parents. Though judging by the look of things, I was too late."

I nodded and lowered my gaze. "At least you tried, I guess…"

"After I found out your parents were dead, I started looking for you. I saw you guys taking on the Balrog, so I decided to sit back and enjoy the show for a bit."

"Balrog?" Evelyn asked.

"The big demon thing with the fire sword and whip you fought earlier. Guy looks like me on a bad day."

We all laughed a little at the joke before Axel continued.

"I saw you pull out that fancy spear of yours, it was really something."

"Thanks. That was my zanpakuto, Tenshi no Shirayuki." I said, a little proud of myself.

"Zanpakuto?" he said before letting out a big yawn.

"It's a special weapon meant to kill evil spirits called hollows. Each zanpakuto has a name and type of powers, depending on its wielder. Mine looks like its powers are light based, but I'm not too certain about it yet. My sister Shinzo has a zanpakuto as well, but I don't know whether or not she's figured out its name yet, or if she's even still alive…wherever she is…"

I let my gaze drop to the floor again. It felt bad to be apart from Shinzo during a time like this, especially with all of those creatures running around. I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind, and turned to see Evelyn hugging me. She gave me a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Shinzo's strong. I'm sure she's alright. And don't worry, we'll find her Hisana. I know we will." my friend said softly.

I smiled in thanks. Axel also smiled at the scene, and reclined back onto his chair. "Y'know, if it makes you feel any better, the Balrog was one of Marluxia's guardians. Only 41 left to go now."

"You make it sound so easy…" I grumbled.

Axel smirked. "Well, it's no fun if you don't think you have a chance, is it? Besides, with the three of us working together, we'll take them down in no time."

"Three of us?"

"Yep. I've decided to stick with you guys for a while. You want to kick Marluxia's ass as much as I do, so it only makes sense." he then looked at me and smiled softly. "I'll help you find your sister."

With the thought of being reunited with Shinzo on my mind, I retired for the night. Axel volunteered to keep watch in case anything showed up while we were sleeping, but ended up retiring with me after Evelyn insisted she take first watch instead. The pyro simply shrugged his shoulders and went into the bedroom next to mine. I set Shirayuki down by the foot of the bed, laid down, and slowly drifted into sleep.

* * *

**Not far away…**

* * *

"How…how can this be?!" the man called M. Bison shouted as he fell to his knees.

I smirked and slowly strode towards him, weapons ready.

"You must be a demon…to have such strength…and…to have such fierce eyes."

"A demon?" I stated as I stopped in front of him. "No, I wouldn't say that. I'm just a girl who protects her little sister."

_SCHINK! SCHINK!_

M. Bison gagged for a second, then blood burst from the two holes that had just been made in his lungs. He collapsed still looking up at me. How pathetic, the dictator was supposed to be a guardian, and yet he had barely been a challenge. I sighed as I sheathed my zanpakuto and glanced at the dimly lit city below. My gaze settled on the hotel at the base of the hill, where I thought I saw a pair of amber eyes staring in my direction. Evelyn always did have a knack for knowing when I was watching. I smiled and looked up at the moon hanging in the night sky.

"Congratulations, Hisana. You've finally achieved shikai. It looks like I was right, your zanpakuto is just as beautiful as you are." I paused for a moment as I closed my eyes and breathed in the night air. "I'm sorry I haven't told you yet, that I've already learned my sword's name and mastered its shikai abilities. I'm also sorry that I can't tell you the truth about us, about what we really are. You're lucky enough that it doesn't show up in you like it does in me…"

I partially drew my sword so that I could see my eyes. A pair of blood red orbs stared up at me from the shining metal. I heard the sound of a few stray hollows coming close, and drew my sword completely. Turning around, I saw there were at least a dozen of them, all adjunchas. I smiled as I held out my sword while drawing the second one I kept hidden.

"Run them through, Ryuketsu no Bara." (bloody rose)

A quick flash of light, and my swords had become a pair of red rapiers. Four other identical swords rested in pairs on either side of my waist. The hollows roared and charged at me.

"Fools."

Not even five minutes later, the evil spirits were all dead and dissolving into nothing. I flicked the blood of my swords and sheathed them before starting to walk away into the night.

"Just wait, Hisana. I'll win this game for us, and kill the bastard who took our mothers away. Then, when the time comes for me to make my wish, I will make sure that we stay together, always. I promise you that."

* * *

**40 Guardians Remaining**

* * *

**A/N:** So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Axel has joined the team, and Shinzo is up to something. What kind of secrets could she be keeping, I wonder? Lol hope you liked the zanpakutos. It took me a while to figure out their names and appearances. As always, be sure to leave a review, I'm always eager to see what you have to say. Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Wind-Fang**

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**Windbloom, the day after…**

* * *

_**Tsuyo-sa**_

* * *

I stood waiting outside the door to the conference room at Garderobe Academy, tapping my foot impatiently. Yesterday, a strange dark sphere appeared in the sky, followed shortly by the release of an alarmingly large horde of monsters. Our military forces had managed to subdue the creatures, and soon after a hologram of a strange man named Marluxia appeared and informed us about some kind of tournament he was holding. Apparently whoever won his game would save the entire multiverse, as well as get their heart's desire granted. It sounded simple enough: defeat his 42 powerful guardians in order to get a shot at him, and then defeat him to win. The problem was, the guardians were randomly spread across fourteen worlds, and we had no way of knowing whether any of them had ended up in Windbloom or not. Right now King Siegfried and Queen Kaia were debating with my mother and the other figureheads of the country to plan a course of action. Because Windbloom is my home, I felt that something this important included me too. I had tried to convince my mother to let me join the conversation, but she told me that I was too young and had me wait outside. As much as I wanted to protest, I knew she was right and couldn't really argue. Despite my appearance of an adult in their mid twenties, I am actually only three years old. Because I was born of two women through a means I still have yet to understand, I developed much faster than a normal human would. So even though I have the body and the brain of an adult, I'm really still a child. I have a half-sister who was born in the same way, but she lives in a different world. We've met a few times, but never long enough to learn too much about each other. She's not welcome in Windbloom because of her mother, who tried to enslave all of the multiverse. From what Evelyn has told me, there's another pair of siblings that live with her in that other world who are just like us. I hope Evelyn's doing alright, I heard that there were attacks throughout the entire multiverse. After what felt like ages, the doors to the council chamber finally opened and my mother walked out. I quickly rushed to her side.

"Mom, what happened? What did they say?" I asked.

My mother let out a sigh and looked at me with her crimson eyes. "We've reached a decision. We've decided to accept Marluxia's terms and to send our strongest warriors to compete in his tournament."

My eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Can I be one of the warriors? You know I'm strong, mom."

Mom let out a small laugh. "You certainly are strong, probably stronger than me. But I can't let you go with the other's."

"Why not?"

"If it were my decision, I would gladly let you go. I know you must be curious about the other worlds out there. However, if you really want to go, you'll have to talk to the king."

I gulped. King Siegfried was a man to be respected and feared. While he was a kind king who always did what was best for his people, it was well known that he was a fearsome warrior who could best many powerful foes. Even if he was a nice guy, his presence alone was damn intimidating, and that gigantic sword of his certainly didn't help either.

"If you're going to talk to him, you'd better go now. He's already on his way to Headmistress Verona's office to select his champions." my mother said, bringing me back to reality.

I nodded nervously and went to find the king. Siegfried was talking with Kaia when I caught up to them. I gathered all the composure I could and knelt down in front of him.

"Your majesty! I have a request!" I said.

There was silence for a moment before he spoke. "Yes, Ms. Irino?"

"I was told that you were going to gather the strongest champions of our kingdom to go and compete in the tournament. If that is so, then I would like to be one of your champions!"

I didn't look up at him, for fear of looking too desperate, but I thought I heard him whispering to Kaia. After a moment, the king spoke again.

"I appreciate the offer, Tsuyo-sa, but I am unsure if I can send you away on a dangerous mission like this. I know that you are a talented fighter, but if this tournament is anything like the one your mother and I were in, then I cannot guarantee your safety."

"…I take it that's a 'no', then?" I sighed.

"I'm afraid it is."

"Is it because I'm too young?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Then why can't I go?" I looked up at him now.

Siegfried stared down at me with piercing light green eyes. "It is because I fear for your safety. Your mother may encourage you to travel the worlds, but I know that she is just as worried as I am that you will not return. I'm sorry, but I can't risk your life without knowing that you can take care of yourself."

Before our conversation could continue, the invasion alarm sounded. An officer came running up to Siegfried with worry written all over his face.

"Your majesty! They're coming again!" the officer informed.

"What is coming?"

"I don't know what they're called, but we've definitely seen them before. Strange black and red animal like creatures that come in the thousands!"

Siegfried's expression became serious. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, your majesty. I remember fighting them during the war."

"I see. You've done well to bring me this information, soldier. Go inform your troops, tell them to prepare to defend the city!"

"Yes, your majesty!" the officer took off to carry out his orders.

Siegfried turned to one of his bodyguards. "Go inform the headmistress, we'll be needing Garderobe's help."

"Yes, your majesty!" the bodyguard ran towards the school's main building.

"Your majesty, what is it? What's attacking us?" I asked, standing up again.

"We don't know what they are, only that they are as numerous as they are deadly. They nearly crushed us more than the rest of the enemy's army the last time they attacked."

"If they are that much of a threat, then let me join the defense!"

Siegfried's expression softened a bit. "Tsuyo-sa…"

"Consider it my chance to prove to you that I can take care of myself."

Siegfried looked like he was about to argue, but stopped when he felt Kaia grip his arm. The queen was barely more than an inch shorter than him and she stared into his eyes with a gentle fierceness.

"Siegfried, it's alright. Let her go. Isn't that what you would normally recommend?"

The king stiffened for a moment, then sighed. "Alright, I see your point. Perhaps being king has dampened my adventurous spirit." He turned back to me. "Very well, you may aid in the defense. But if it gets to be too dangerous, then retreat immediately. Understand?"

I smiled and nodded happily. "Yes, your majesty!"

Without waiting for any further instructions, I raced through the streets, out the gates and into the desert surrounding our city. I got in line with the rest of the soldiers and otome who had arrived. Among the defense forces was Verona, headmistress of Garderobe Academy, the school for otome. Verona caught sight of me as I took a stance in preparation for battle.

"Tsuyo-sa, what are you doing here?" she questioned, staring straight at me with her violet eyes.

"I was told I could join in the defense. The king is giving me a chance to prove that I can take care of myself." I answered.

Verona paused for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. "Well, be sure to be careful. I heard that these things are pretty tough to beat."

"Only one way to find out." I smirked as I fixed my gaze on the quickly growing black mass on the edge of my vision.

The mass got bigger and bigger as the creatures drew close. I could now make out a few shapes among the swarm. There were massive elephant like creatures, along with what looked like giant snapping turtles with spiked shells and huge manta ray like creatures that flew. The mass was staring to get close now, and I could now see gorilla like creatures accompanied by rhinoceros looking ones. Verona summoned her shuriken shaped elements to her hands and flew towards the enemy.

"Charge!" she ordered.

The rest of us let out a war cry and followed suit. As I neared a small pack of the gorilla creatures, I leapt into the air and summoned my weapons, a pair of humongous gauntlets with spiked knuckles. Although the weapons were each as big as my body, I could hold them as though they weighed nothing. Feeling my gauntlets finish forming around lower arms, I swung at the group of monsters in front of me. The creatures were all flung back in one blow, and burst into a strange orange liquid upon death. Hearing the cries of more creatures quickly approaching, I proceeded to punch relentlessly at the swarm of enemies. With each blow, three or four of the smaller creatures were defeated. A pair of the rhino creatures tried to ram me, but I caught them and flung them both at a giant turtle creature. The larger monster roared in frustration. Its spikes began to glow, shortly before a barrage of red energy blasts burst from its back, exploding on the ground around it as they landed. The force of the explosion knocked me back, but I managed to remain standing by using my gauntlets as brakes. When I regained my balance, I charged toward the large creature with my fists pulled back. Just as I neared its head, I swung both of my fists upward, causing the large monster to fly into the air. As it started to descend, I put my gauntlets together and reformed them into a single large flambard with dual serrated edges. I thrust the sword upward, sticking it into the side of the monster. Tightening my grip, I pulled the sword towards the side. The blade slid through the monster in motion, freeing itself from its flesh with a grotesque ripping sound. A river of orange luminescent blood exploded from the monster's now open stomach, nearly drowning me. I turned the blade back into my gauntlets and got ready for the next wave of creatures. The entire ground shook around me, and I saw a humongous elephant like monster standing 15 feet in front of me. The monster let out a tremendous roar that nearly blew me off of my feet. It tried to squash me under its massive foot, but at the last moment I managed to catch it and throw it aside, making the huge monster lose its balance. While it stumbled, I leapt up high into the air so that I was eye level with the monster. I pulled my right fist behind me in preparation.

"Take this!" I shouted.

I thrust my spiked fist forward, slamming it right between the eyes of the monster with enough force to break through its thick skull. The giant monster reeled back onto its hind legs, howling in pain before it fell backwards onto a crowd of its fellow monsters. I landed safely on the ground and looked ahead of me. I gasped when I saw that we had barely even made a dent in the monster army's forces. I began to have doubts about being able to fight such a massive horde, just as the monsters surrounded me and my allies. I looked around at how many of us were left. Besides me, there were around a few dozen soldiers and two otome, Meister Nao Zhang and Headmistress Verona. We huddled together in a tight circle.

"Damn, there's too many of them!" Verona grunted.

"I knew this job was nothing but trouble." Nao muttered.

The swarm of creatures roared and growled at us as they began to close in. We let out everything we had on them, but it still wasn't enough. We were losing men quickly now, pretty soon it would just be me and the otome. Just as we were about to be overrun, something strange happened. Bright blue trails of light began to appear in front of us, almost like they were trails from a sword slash. The layer of monsters around us was instantly cut down by the lights, much to our surprise.

"It seems I made it just in time." a calm voice said behind me.

I turned around to see a tall man wearing a black vest and pants with two gold scarves trailing from his shoulders. He was barefoot, had strange gold decorations over his fingers, armored shoulders, short black hair, and piercing yellow eyes. Before I had time to ask him who he was, the man struck a combat pose.

"I will explain later, for now just know that I am not your enemy. Let me deal with the Gohma first before we talk."

With that, he disappeared. I thought he had run, but then he reappeared in front of the crowd of monsters. With an angry yell, the man began to punch and kick everything in front of him with incredible speed and power. He moved so fast that it almost appeared that there was two of him. The man leapt into the air and drew back his hand. He swung his arm in an arc, and a small wave of blue energy quickly flew from his fingers. He then proceeded to fling more arcs at the enemy ranks in quick succession. I could only watch in awe as the horde of beasts quickly fell to his graceful and relentless assault. Even the largest of monsters were quickly slain, though they took more effort than the rest of the swarm. Having killed what must have been at least a thousand of the monsters, the man then reappeared with my group. He had his back to us, and was still in a combat stance.

"Something's not right." He said as he flung another barrage of arcs at the enemy.

"What is it?" I said as I pummeled a few monsters that got too close.

"They're retreating. The Gohma do not retreat, ever."

I finished pounding a monster and took a look at the crowd. He was right, the monsters seemed to be pulling back. I saw a lone figure begin to walk out of the crowd. It was a man. He stood at least 7 feet tall, wore no shirt (most likely to show off the bright red markings all over his chest), had spiky white hair, pure white eyes, fingerless gauntlets, white pants and shoes, and he had a long sword slung across the back of his waist. The tall man walked toward us with a smirk. I noticed the man that stood with us was staring at the other man in surprise.

"It can't be…master?!" said the black haired man.

"Looks to me like he's the enemy general. If we take him out, maybe those monsters will wise up and retreat." Verona said. "Nao, let's go!"

"The sooner we get done the better." Nao said slyly as she and Verona took off toward the man.

"Wait!" said the man at my side.

But it was too late. Verona and Nao attacked the tall man, and he made no attempt to dodge. Their blows barely even scratched him. Grinning madly, the tall man sent a powerful kick that struck Nao right in her ribs. Even from 20 feet away, I could hear bones crack shortly before the force of the kick propelled the redhead back towards the city and out of sight. I could only watch in stunned horror as the tall man then sent a mighty punch at Verona. The headmistress tried to block the strike, but the man's fist broke her elements to pieces and drove straight through her chest until it resurfaced out of her back. Verona's eyes were wide with shock as blood burst from her mouth. The man withdrew his hand from within the otome, gripped her by her head, and hurled her to my feet. I knelt down beside the older woman still shocked at how quickly she was defeated.

"Ms. Verona!" I cried.

Verona weakly turned her head to face me. "Tsuyo…sa…"

"Just hang on! I'll get you out of here and-"

"Tsuyo-sa…it's too late for that."

"But you can't die…you're the strongest otome in the world!"

Verona managed a weak smile. "I'm not strong. Not like Kaia…not like Notokishi…not like you."

"Verona…"

"Whether or not the others realize it, you've proven yourself a long time ago. I want you to keep fighting…for me and for Windbloom."

"I…I will."

Verona closed her eyes and sighed. "Then, I can rest easy."

She opened her eyes partway and looked up at the sky. Her body began to quickly dissolve into tiny green lights. When she was nearly gone, I heard her softly whisper.

"I'm coming…Notokishi."

Having said her last words, the headmistress dissolved into nothing. I sat there for a few moments before I stood up. The man with black hair stepped beside me.

"Are you still able to fight? If not, I understand." he said softly.

I clenched my fists. "Yeah…I'm good to go."

The man nodded. "This isn't going to be easy. That man is Augus, my former teacher and one of the Seven Deities. As you can see, he's incredibly strong."

"Is it possible to beat him?"

"Yes, he was defeated by my ape of a brother-in-law. Once."

"Then that's all the incentive I need. By the way, who are you?"

The man smiled as he got into his combat stance. "My name is Yasha."

"Nice to meet you, Yasha. I'm Tsuyo-sa. Now, let's kick that bastard's ass."

The two of us charged toward Augus. The tall man grinned and ran to meet us. I slammed my fist into Augus's side, and Yasha delivered a kick to his face. Surprisingly, neither of our attacks seemed to faze the tall man. He just grinned wider and shoved us back. I noticed that there were marks where I had punched him. Augus also noticed this, and tilted his head in my direction.

"Heh, that actually hurt. Perhaps the two of you together will be a worthy opponent." he said in a wise and arrogant voice. Augus simply stood straight and held his fists at his sides. "C'mon, let's have some fun!"

Yasha and I both began to attack the tall man. Augus actually fought back this time, and met each of our blows with his own. He must have thought his fists were enough, because he didn't draw his sword. I blocked a punch at my head and skidded back, while Yasha continued to bombard Augus with lightning fast kicks and punches. Augus either countered or ignored every blow that came at him. Yasha paused for a moment, then surged forward, feet first. Augus caught Yasha's foot and swung him into the ground. The tall man let out a haughty laugh as Yasha regained his footing and fell back to my side.

"What's the matter, Yasha? All this time and your attacks haven't gotten any stronger? You disappoint me." Augus taunted.

Yasha grit his teeth. "I could say the same to you, master. How could you ally yourself with the Gohma, our sworn enemy?"

"I care not for what reason I must fight alongside them. So long as I get to fight more opponents like Asura and you, then it makes no difference!"

Yasha sighed. "You haven't changed a bit."

Without waiting for Yasha, I charged at Augus alone. The tall man greeted my attack with a smile and a fist to my stomach. I winced in pain but still swung at him. Augus's grin faltered for a moment as my large fist struck him square in the face. The tall man flew into the air, and landed on his stomach. Leaping back to his feet, he ran a hand over his face for a moment and paused when he felt the warmth of freshly spilt blood on his mouth. His grin returned bigger than ever, and he began to laugh hysterically.

"Not bad! You must be strong to hurt me like this! Come…" Augus rocketed toward me with his fists raised. "Show me what you're made of!"

I was unprepared for his sudden burst of speed, and struggled as punch after punch rained on my gauntlets and torso. Augus's punches had suddenly become so strong that they shattered my gauntlets, and I had to throw up my bare arms to protect myself. Thankfully I have a high tolerance for pain, and my injuries heal pretty quickly, but it still hurt to be repeatedly punched in the face and chest. Seeing me struggle to hold my ground, Yasha intervened and sent a flying kick straight into Augus's unguarded torso. While I caught my breath, he exchanged blows with the tall man. Like Yasha, Augus could fight at incredible speeds, and I began having trouble keeping up with their movements. From what I could see, it looked like Yasha was holding his own pretty well, and was hitting Augus several times. But the taller man just ignored the blows and kept on fighting, his mad grin growing the longer the fight dragged on. It almost seemed as if combat made him high. Eventually, Yasha attempted to deliver a powerful ending blow, but Augus swung himself around and struck the black haired man with his still sheathed sword, knocking him aside.

"Stay out of the way, Yasha! This is between me and the girl!" Augus declared as he ran at me again.

I grit my teeth and ran to meet him. "Fine by me!"

I summoned my gauntlets again, this time at a normal size. Augus just smiled insanely as we both swung at each other. My fist struck his, his struck mine. I punched him in the gut, he socked me in the nose. I kicked him in the chin, he kneed me in the chest. We kept attacking and counter attacking, neither of us wearing out or showing any signs of pain. Eventually Augus took a swipe at me that was too wide, and I ducked under it and countered with a strong thrust that slammed into his gut. The tall man was sent flying back a solid 50 feet, not stopping until he collided with a rock formation. I readied myself as I watched him get back up. To my surprise, he didn't make an attempt to attack me. Instead, he just stood there laughing like a maniac as yellow energy swirled around him. After a moment he pulled his sword from his back and held it in front of him.

"Yes! This is more like it! It's been far too long since I've had a battle this good. Tell me girl, what is your name?" he said.

"Tsuyo-sa Irino." I answered.

"Well then, Tsuyo-sa Irino, consider yourself lucky. Because you have shown me such great strength, you will have the honor…." he drew his sword and practically teleported right in front of me. "Of dying by my blade!"

I barely managed to catch the sword in my hands. I shoved it off to the side, and next thing I knew a long line had been burned into the desert. I back flipped away from him as he tried to slice me again. Landing on my feet, I rose to my full height and put my gauntlets together.

"If that's how you want to play…" my gauntlets transformed into my serrated flambard. "then so be it!"

My blade clashed against Augus's, and a tremendous shockwave was released from the impact. We both pulled back before quickly lunging at each other again. After exchanging quite a few more blows, Augus dashed away from me. He swung his sword horizontally, and a wave of energy followed its path in an arc. I jumped over the wave with ease as I ran towards him. Augus then swung vertically, and the energy wave split into ten separate waves. I weaved my way between a pair of the arcs before leaping at him with my sword raised. He pulled his blade back in preparation to meet my blow. We both swung as I neared him, and another shockwave was released as our blades connected. The force of the wave blew us away from each other, and we both landed expertly some 100 yards apart. By now Augus was covered in cuts and bruises. If I didn't have my healing abilities, I would probably be in a similar state right about now. Augus took some time to let out his loudest and most insane laugh yet.

"This is what I live for! This is why people like us exist!" then suddenly he held his sword in a thrust position, and his expression became serious. "But all good things must come to an end. This battle has gone on long enough."

Without warning, his sword suddenly extended toward me at a rapid speed. I barely had time to place my sword in a defensive stance before the blade slammed into it. Augus's sword continued to try to extend, and I felt myself being quickly pushed back. As I struggled to keep the ever-growing blade from skewering me, I saw the tip of it start to pierce through my sword. Despite my struggling, Augus's sword split mine in half, and the blade plunged into my chest. I felt myself skidding across the desert towards the city as the sword still continued to extend. Ignoring the immense pain from the injury, I saw Augus running towards me, his sword beginning to return to normal size as he drew near. Still holding both halves of my sword, I summoned all the strength I had to keep myself from sliding back any further. With a yell, I shattered Augus's sword with one half of my blade while sticking the other half out just as the tall man was about to crash into me.

_SCHINK!_

The two of us stood in front of each other for a few moments. Augus stood motionless in front of me, with the tip of my sword stuck through his forehead. Despite his situation, the tall man smiled softly at me and let his sword drop to his side.

"Well done, Tsuyo-sa Irino. This was a wonderful battle. Once you die, come find me in the afterlife so that we can do this again." he said calmly.

I smirked. "I'll think about it."

With that, Augus let out a small chuckle shortly before dissolving into nothing. I cringed as I removed the tip of his broken sword from my chest. I then looked back at the horde of monsters. They were now retreating back to wherever they came from. I sighed and dematerialized my sword as Yasha slowly walked up to me, mouth agape.

"You…you beat him…" he said. "How are you still alive?"

"If there's one thing I know how to do, its take a hit. Looks like the Gohma or whatever you called them are retreating."

"It would seem that way. Still, I cannot help but wonder about all of this. Somehow, I have returned to life, and it appears that my resurrection may be related to the reappearance of the Gohma and Augus."

"Maybe they are. A lot of crazy things are happening nowadays."

"Regardless, you have my respect, Tsuyo-sa. No simple warrior could have defeated Augus. If you would allow me, I'd like to accompany you back to…wherever civilization is on this world. It seems that much has happened while I've been gone, and I would very much like to know if I can help put a stop to whatever brought the Gohma back."

"Well you're in luck then, cause that's exactly what I'm planning on doing."

Yasha smiled. "Then, it would only make sense for us to join forces, Tsuyo-sa." he held out his hand.

I returned the smile. "I think I like the sound of that, Yasha."

I took his hand in mine and we shook, sealing our partnership.

* * *

**39 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N: **Whew! Finally done! I would've uploaded this a couple days sooner, but I had to deal with some serious homework that pretty much decides my grade *gulp*. Be sure to leave a review, as I would like to hear what you all have to say. Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Desire for the Impossible**

* * *

**Unknown Location**

* * *

_**General P.O.V.**_

* * *

Marluxia stared with great interest at the portal in front of him. The portal acted as a camera, through which he watched a young dark haired woman clothed in red and black leather armor (infinity blade style leather armor, except for a girl) wandering through the woods of another world. Almost as if sensing she was being watched, the woman turned in Marluxia's direction. The pink haired nobody felt himself shiver slightly at the sight of the woman's blood red eyes. A slight smirk spread across his lips. The woman in the image stood staring for a moment, then turned around and continued to walk. Marluxia closed the portal and chuckled lightly to himself.

"Something funny, boss?" came a snide voice from behind Marluxia.

The pink haired man didn't need to turn around to know that Grimmjow had just entered the room. He simply smiled to himself as the arrancar approached.

"No, just pleased by what I saw." Marluxia replied.

Grimmjow scoffed. "Fine. You know, none of those wimps are ever gonna get this far. I'm just gonna be sitting here with no one to talk to but you, Mr. Chosen One, and that asshole knight."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that. There is one amongst their ranks who has me quite…interested."

Marluxia reopened the portal surveying the woman so that Grimmjow could see. The blue haired espada looked at the woman in confusion.

"What's so special about her?" he asked.

"You should be able to sense that through this portal." Marluxia answered.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow, but obeyed nonetheless. It took him seconds before his eyes shot wide open in realization.

"That reiatsu…she's a soul reaper?!"

Marluxia nodded. "And a powerful one at that. She took down one of the guardians by herself, without so much as a scratch."

"What? But aren't they all supposed to be strong?"

"They are. But this girl slew one single-handed. What's more, she seems to be trailing after a small group that took down another guardian. An old colleague of mine is with them."

"Do you think he has something to do with her insane power level?"

"I doubt it. Axel is not capable of such things. However, it's possible that this was only a fluke, and the girl was just lucky. But just to be safe, we'd better keep an eye on her. Who knows, she could prove to be…useful."

Grimmjow was about to express further doubts, but then an idea happened across his mind.

"Hey, I know how to test out your theory."

"Oh? And what did you have in mind?"

Grimmjow shot Marluxia his trademark insane grin. "Let _me_ fight her. If she's as strong as you say, then she should be a good challenge. If not, then she was just lucky."

Marluxia thought for a moment. He had originally planned on saving Grimmjow for the small chance that someone managed to beat the first 39 guardians. It would definitely lower his security if he lost an arch-guardian this early in the game.

"No, not yet. I cannot let you onto the playing field right now."

Grimmjow frowned. "Suit yourself."

"However," Marluxia continued. "I will allow you to chose someone else for her to fight. I too would like to put her skills to the test."

Grimmjow took little time in thinking up an opponent.

"I think I know just who to send…"

* * *

**Karakura Town**

* * *

_**Shinzo**_

* * *

I slowly made my way though the expansive woods of Karakura Park, reaching out with my reiatsu for anything that might be powerful enough to be a guardian. I had spent the day watching over Hisana and Evelyn and their strange new friend 'Axel' as they searched for a guardian. According to the spiky redhead, Marluxia had decided to place three guardians in each of the fourteen worlds where the tournament would take place. If Hisana and Evelyn had killed one, then including the one I killed yesterday, there was still one left. I saw Evelyn take notice of me a few times, but she didn't let the others know of my presence. Perhaps she wants me to make an appearance myself? No matter. It's better this way. Hisana doesn't need to know yet. I sighed as I exited the woods and came out on the edge of a small lake. There was a white fog scattered about everywhere, making the ground invisible. I saw a small island sitting alone in the middle of the lake not far from where I now stood. All of a sudden, I detected an immense amount of spirit energy emanating from the island. Curious as to who, or what it may be, I started wading through the lake towards the island. The water came up to just below my knees, and the fog parted as I walked. The glass like surface of the water reflected the crescent moon hanging overhead, as well as adding an eerie shine to my red eyes. A few moments later, I was on the island. There were a few trees that stood around the edge, obscuring the center of the island from view. I checked my senses again, and found that the source of the immense spirit energy was coming from somewhere within the thicket of trees. I felt a smirk form on my lips.

"So that's where you're hiding. Well whoever you are, it's time to for you to leave this world." I said as I entered the thicket.

Slowly, I made my way through a tunnel formed out of branches tightly woven together. Eventually I got to the center of the thicket, where there was a dimly lit enclosure.

Sitting in the center of the enclosure was an elaborate short sword and shield that appeared to be made out of some kind of blue crystal. The sword appeared to be the source of the spirit energy, so I drew my swords and prepared to shatter it. Just then, a bright light shone from somewhere above the enclosure, forcing me o shield my eyes. When the light dimmed enough to become bearable, I looked to see what had caused it. Slowly descending with a pair of angelic wings, was a very scantily clad blonde woman who wore the equivalent of a semi transparent white bikini and a winged mask over the top half of her face. The woman stopped her descent to where she was hovering over the sword and shield.

"Who are you?" I demanded, swords at the ready.

"**I have no name, but you humans often refer to me as the spirit sword, Soul Calibur. Though I suppose if I did have a name, then it would be Elysium."** answered the woman.

"Heh, I think you've got the wrong idea, lady. Believe it or not, I am far from human."

Elysium must have been staring at me intently under her mask, because she tilted her head down to face me.

"…**you speak the truth. I sense a darkness about you that surpasses that of humans. You desire something, something that is greatly forbidden to you."**

"Aw, was it that easy to tell?" I mocked. "Cut the crap, I know you're one of Marluxia's guardians."

"**Hmph. Very perceptive, child. It would seem you will be a challenge. I know not what dark desire rests in your heart…"** the sword and shield flew from the ground to Elysium's hands. Her wings disappeared as her feet touched the ground, and she readied herself for combat. **"But no matter what it is, you will not have it!"**

The area around us became cloudy, and I could now see a stairway leading to somewhere bright, along with several pillar shaped structures that were reminiscent of Greek architecture. Elysium pointed her sword at me.

"**Pitiful child, prepare to die!"** she declared as she charged at me.

I just smirked and held my swords vertically in opposite directions.

"Run them through, Ryuketsu no Bara." I commanded.

My twin swords transformed into six red rapiers, with two in my hands and the other four at my sides. I crossed my blades in a defensive stance as Elysium swung at my head. Her sword bounced off my weapons, and I took the opportunity to slice at her. The angelic woman leapt back just in time to avoid being cut in two. She then ran forward and swung her shield. I side stepped out of its path and thrust a sword forward. Elysium barely dodged the attack, and quickly spun around the tip of my sword to thrust her own at my head. I tilted my head to the side as the crystalline blue blade clipped a few stray hairs. I then spun around and slashed at Elysium's side. She managed to evade the strike, and came at me with her shield again. This time I ducked under the attack and slammed the pommels of my swords into her gut, quickly followed by a kick that sent her skyward. As Elysium flew through the air, I jumped up so that I was above her. I smiled at her shocked face before turning my rapiers upside down and thrusting down at her. My twin blades dove into her unguarded stomach, planting her to the ground as she landed. I smiled sinisterly down at her as she squirmed from the pain. I let go of my rapiers and reached for the mask on her face. Elysium struggled harder to get free as my hand closed around the mask. Right as I tore it off, she kicked me hard in the stomach, knocking me off of her. I put out a hand to the ground and regained my balance as I skidded to halt. Elysium slowly pulled the rapiers out of her stomach and tossed them aside. As she stood up straight and took her stance, I could now see her beautiful eyes. They were a brilliant sapphire blue.

"Just like her eyes…" I whispered.

"**What did you say?"** Elysium demanded.

"Your eyes, they remind me of someone I know…someone I love…"

Elysium narrowed her eyes in confusion. **"I care not for your games! Now be silent and let us continue our duel!"**

I simply sighed and shook my head. "Very well, if you wish."

I drew another pair of rapiers from my sides, and took a stance. This time I rushed toward Elysium. She was surprised by how fast I closed the distance between me and her, and barely had time to hold her shield in front of her as I began to bombard her with an endless stream of lightning fast thrusts. No longer able to stand up to my attacks, Elysium spun around to the side for escape. As I turned to face her, she slashed at my chest and thrust her sword forward, too fast for me to stop it. The sword drove into my chest, causing a short spurt of green/black blood to flee my body. Elysium smiled, thinking she'd won. I pretended to go limp for a few seconds before letting a wicked grin spread across my face. As Elysium stared at me in disbelief, I slashed at her unguarded chest. The angelic woman staggered back, with an 'x' shaped cut freshly carved into the center of her chest. The strike had also cut apart her barely held together top, which now barely clung to her breasts. Elysium glared at me in anger and confusion.

"**How are you still alive?!" **she demanded.

I just smiled and walked toward her. My wounds had already healed, much to my opponent's surprise.

"Didn't I tell you earlier? I'm far from human. If you plan on killing me, then you'll have to do much better than that." I taunted.

Elysium yelled in rage and charged at me, sending blow after blow at everywhere she could. I didn't even try to dodge her attacks. Every time she cut me, the injury would heal up instantaneously. Not even the multiple times she stabbed me made any difference. Elysium got desperate, and decided to test the limits of my regeneration. With a cry of anger, she swung down at my right arm, severing it from my body. My limb fell lifelessly to the floor, still holding the rapier and splattering blood everywhere. Elysium let out a faint smile.

"**Hah! You might be able to heal quickly, but it's impossible to regrow your limbs!"** she claimed.

"Regrow my arm? Why would I want a new arm?" I said.

I held out the stump that remained of my right arm. The blood dripping from it and the other part of my arm suddenly rose up and turned into tendrils that reached out and connected to each other. Elysium watched in shock as the blood tendrils merged and slowly pulled my arm from off the floor and onto the stump, shortly before the skin melded back together, reattaching it.

"If you ask me, this one works just fine."

Before Elysium could react, I lunged at her with both my blades. With a single strike from both weapons, I disarmed my opponent. I sent another slash that cut across Elysium's waist, knocking her to the ground alongside her weapons. But the angelic woman wasn't done yet, for she quickly rose to her feet and spread out her now blue wings.

"**Child of darkness, be gone!"** she yelled.

What felt like a dozen invisible blades at once suddenly cut into my chest, spewing blood all over. Falling down on one knee, I looked up at Elysium and saw a dozen crystalline fragments floating around her wings.

"Fine, if that's how you want to play, then so be it." I said as I rose.

I held my swords out, and slowly let go of them. The twin blades remained floating in place, and soon the other four joined them. The six rapiers began to rotate around me, waiting for my command. I stretched out my arms and stared straight into Elysium's hate filled eyes.

"Chi no toge…" the six blades all made six copies of themselves, bringing it to a total of 36 blades. "…no danmaku." (blood thorn barrage) I said with a smile.

I thrust my arms forward, and the rapiers began to fly at Elysium in quick succession. My opponent desperately tried to ward off the attack by forming the crystal fragments into a shield, but to no avail. After the tenth blade struck, Elysium's shield shattered, and one by one the remaining blades impaled her. With just over a dozen rapiers stuck through her, Elysium fell to the ground. The copied blades vanished, and the original six returned to their places at my sides in my hands. I walked over to where Elysium lay motionless. Blood was rapidly escaping her body, and her breathing had become ragged and heavy. Sheathing my zanpakuto, I knelt down beside her and pulled her head up so that she could see my face. Through pain filled eyes, Elysium saw something in me that absolutely terrified her.

"**No…it can't be…it was destroyed…"** she gasped before coughing up a large amount of blood.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"**I see now…the reason you are so strong…the evil presence…it lies deep within you…"**

I narrowed my eyes at her and smiled sadistically. "Well now, that's one way to talk about my desire. It may not be pure, but no one has ever called it an 'evil presence' before."

Frustrated, I stood up. Elysium cried out in pain as I lifted her up by her hair so that we were eye level. I stared straight into her sapphire eyes that quivered with fear as I inched my face close to hers.

"You know, you really are beautiful. Truly the living image of an angel." I said.

Elysium looked at me in scared confusion.

"But…" I continued. "you are not the angel I desire. You are an annoyance. So, why don't you be a good little pest…"

I opened my mouth and mercilessly dug my teeth into the soft flesh of her neck.

"…and die!"

The taste of the living essence of Soul Calibur was sweeter than I had imagined, and it didn't take long for me to drink her dry, blood and power and all. Elysium could only gasp as I drained her, dissolving into faint blue lights once I had completely devoured her. The area around me returned to normal, with nothing remaining from my duel. Nothing except the blood on my lips, that is. Smiling, I began to walk away from the scene of the battle, licking my lips clean of blood. With Elysium dead, Karakura Town was now free of guardians. I would now have to start searching the multiverse for more worlds. But first, I had something important to take care of.

* * *

It didn't take me long to track down where Hisana had decided to spend the night. We are sisters, after all. Suppressing my reiatsu on the off chance she was still awake, I slowly and silently entered the hotel room where she was staying. My sister lay in a bed sleeping soundly, while her belongings sat in a neat pile on the side of her bed. She had decided to take along Achreios, a sword given to our birth mother, along with a medium sized satchel. Curious, I quietly opened the bag and looked inside. Among its contents were some clothing, toiletries, and a few family photos. I reached into the bag and pulled out one of the photos. I smiled as I looked at the scene it displayed. It was a photo of Hisana and me when we were still little. I had my glasses on, and my eyes were still green. Hisana stood next to me, smiling brightly. I shared the same expression, and was holding her hand in mine. I mentally laughed to myself. _Even as a child, you are beautiful._ I heard my sister let out a soft sigh, and turned toward her. She was still sound asleep, so I decided it wouldn't hurt to stay a little longer. Quietly, I walked over and gazed fondly down at her sleeping form. Even in her adult body, my younger sister was petite when compared to most other people. That may seem odd to most people, but to me it was one of the cutest things about her. I gently put my hand on her head, careful so as not to wake her. Smiling softly, I very gently ran my hand through her soft hair.

"I'm sure you're worried about me, Hisana. I'm sorry I can't be by your side. Not yet. Not until I win this tournament for us. When I do, I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you what we are, I'll tell you about all the special things that only people like us can do. And most of all…" my smile faltered slightly as I finished. "…I will tell you how you mean so much more to me than you could ever know."

Hisana was too asleep to hear me, too asleep to notice the painful truth in my words. But it was better that she hadn't heard me. After all, how could she ever look at me the same if she knew how I felt about her? When I first realized I had these feelings, I didn't think much of it. I mean, it was just some childish longing, right? Nothing serious. But as time went by, Hisana began to seem more and more beautiful, until I could no longer deny my feelings. I found myself often sneaking into her bed, just so I could be closer to her. I passed it off as needing another person to warm up, but I knew that wasn't the case. When I finally came to terms with my feelings, I felt as though I had been struck by a terrible evil. I'm a freak. A freak who's romantically—oh who am I kidding, sexually attracted to her younger sister. I knew it wasn't right, that this is not how siblings should feel, that there was no way that Hisana could ever share the feelings I have for her. And I was okay with that. I was more than happy with just being sisters, with just being friends. But then this tournament came, and I knew that this was my only chance. So as I stand here now, with my sweet, innocent little sister sleeping safe and sound in front of me, I swear to myself that I will do whatever I have to in order to win this game and get my wish. If Hisana will not return my feelings because of our relation, then the only way to earn her love is to sever the ties between us. If we weren't related, then it wouldn't be so bad. With my resolve restored, I quietly snuck out of Hisana's room, taking a picture of her as a souvenir.

"Nice of you to drop by, Shinzo."

I wasn't as startled as I should have been to see Evelyn, the one person who knew my secret, standing by the exit wide awake, and giving me an accusatory glance. I sighed and walked until I was standing right behind her, so that our backs were facing each other.

"Does she know?" I asked.

"No, I haven't told her."

"That I've been following her?"

"Or that you've been guardian hunting, or that you're in love with her."

"…thank you."

"Shinzo."

"Yes?"

I heard Evelyn sigh. "Stop chasing after her. I know it may sound harsh, but I'm saying this because I'm your friend and because we both know it's true."

I knew what was coming next.

"No matter what you do, she's never going to fall in love with you."

I smiled sadly. "I know."

"That said, why are you doing this? Why are you trying to reach something that's impossible?"

I straightened up. "It doesn't matter if it's impossible. This is the only chance I have, and I can't just let it go. I love her so much, it's become harder and harder to restrain myself."

I heard Evelyn turn to face me, and tilted my head so that I was looking at her out of the corner of my eye. She was glaring furiously at me.

"Did you do something to her while you were in there?" she said accusingly.

I shook my head. "I wouldn't forgive myself if I forced myself on her. I want her to willingly fall in love with me, I don't want her to be a slave."

"You mean you don't want her to be like you."

I paused for a moment, then turned away from Evelyn. "I've killed the last guardian in this world. It'll take a while to find the rest, so you won't have to worry about me for a bit."

Evelyn's gaze became less tense as she sighed. "As if. I'm always worried about you, both of you. I swear, if I wasn't around…"

We both chuckled lightly at that. Then I collected myself, and started to walk away.

"See you later, Evelyn. Take care of Hisana for me while I'm gone." I said.

"Wait!" Evelyn quickly responded.

Curious, I turned around to face her. She stared at me with deep sympathy and worry.

"I can't approve of what you're doing, but please, just please, for both Hisana and my sakes…try not to get yourself killed."

I paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "I'll be careful."

With that, I turned and headed out the door, and into the streets. I decided to spend the rest of the night at a hotel on the other side of town, so I headed that way. About halfway there, though, I came across a strange scene. I saw a boy with blue hair and yellow shirt with a tyrannosaurus tooth hanging on a necklace surrounded by a group of hollows. I was just about to try and do something, when all of a sudden the boy let out an inhuman roar. He then pulled out an odd looking scepter, which he used to quickly crush every hollow around him. The boy just stood there as the lost spirits dissolved into nothing. One of his eyes was bright red and glowing, and he glared around looking for more things to attack. Cautiously, I approached the boy.

"That was quite impressive, for a kid." I said snidely.

That caught the boy's attention. Now that I was close, he looked about 16 years old.

"**Who the hell are you? Are you with Rex Owen?"** the boy demanded.

"Rex Owen? Who's that?"

"**My other self, the one who has a soul! I hate him! I'd like nothing more than to rip him apart!"**

"Then why don't you?"

"**Because I'm his soulless, I'll die if he dies. If I kill him, then I kill myself. Dammit, if only there were a way out of this…"**

An idea struck my mind, and I smiled mischievously.

"You know, I think I might know how to fix your problem."

That seemed to get the wild boy's interest. **"Really?"**

I nodded. "You bet. See, I also want to sever a bond with someone, but I couldn't do it. But now there's this tournament going on, and apparently whoever wins gets to have anything they want granted."

The boy smiled insanely. **"So that message wasn't just a joke… Hey wait a minute, are you competing in this tournament? Cause if you are, I might just have to kill you."**

I gave him the most wicked grin I had. "I'm afraid that's not a possibility for you. Besides, I'm not the one you have to fight, remember?"

The boy frowned. **"Yeah, I guess. Killjoy."**

I ignored his badly hidden insult. "Say, I have an idea. Since you and I have similar goals, why not work together for now? We can beat the guardians and Marluxia, and then when it's just the two of us, we'll fight for who get's their wish. Sound good?"

The boy thought for a moment. It seemed like he made a decision, because then he nodded his head. He looked back at me.

"**Sure. What the hell."**

"Great! Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Shinzo, Shinzo Takanashi. And you are?" I held out my hand.

The boy gave me another of his insane smiles and shook my hand.

"**The name's Xalir. Nice to meet you, Shinzo."**

* * *

**38 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N:** Xalir is an OC created by Ekkuesuteria, from the dinosaur hearts series. The plot thickens, bro 0_0. Now review! Darn it, review! Lol, till next time. DarkNovelist out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Homeland**

* * *

**Karakura Town, the morning after…**

* * *

**Hisana's Group**

* * *

The trio of Axel, Hisana, and Evelyn steadily walked through the streets of downtown Karakura, each reaching out with their various senses in the hopes of finding a guardian. After searching for some time, they stopped as a holographic projection of Marluxia appeared in the sky above them, smiling with usual coyness. The three competitors kept a tight grasp on their weapons as the hologram opened its mouth to speak.

"_Congratulations, heroes of Karakura Town." _ the hologram began. _"You have defeated all three of the guardians within your world. As of now, I will call back my hordes from your world."_

No sooner had he spoken, than a massive swarm of hollows and dusks began to fly through the air towards the black sphere in the sky. Marluxia waited until every last one of the dark creatures had been absorbed by the sphere before continuing.

"_Your world is now free of my rule, but there are still thirteen others that belong to me and my guardians. As a token for your success, allow me to give you a gift."_ he snapped his fingers, and a swirling portal of darkness appeared before the group. _"This gateway will take you to another world with more guardians for you to face. Good luck, challengers. Perhaps we will be meeting soon."_

The hologram of Marluxia disappeared, leaving only silence as the group took in the new information.

"The third guardian has been defeated? But how?" Hisana wondered out loud.

"Looks like someone besides us has an interest in the tournament." Axel stated.

Evelyn nodded. "Definitely looks that way." the tall woman turned toward the open gateway. "What about that portal? Do you think it's a trap?"

Axel shook his head. "Marluxia may be a sneaky bastard, but he wouldn't try something like that. If it leads to another world with guardians like he said, then I think we should go."

Evelyn turned to the shortest member of the group. "Hisana, what about you? What are your thoughts on this?"

The short woman thought for a moment. "It would probably be best to go, but I'm not sure...I still don't know where nee-san is, and I'd rather not leave until I know she's safe."

Evelyn smiled and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure that she's alright. Shinzo is probably fighting, just like us, so the sooner we put a stop to Marluxia, the sooner we can reunite with her. Okay?"

Hisana smiled faintly, still somewhat doubtful. "I suppose you're right."

Axel smiled. "Well, we better be on our way then."

The other two nodded in agreement. The trio stepped toward the portal. Axel and Hisana went first, followed shortly by Evelyn. Just before she passed through the gateway, Evelyn cast one last glance over her shoulder. Seeing nothing, she turned back toward the gateway and joined her companions on the other side. Just after the trio disappeared, a pair of figures emerged from a nearby alleyway, one slightly shorter than the other. Nodding to each other, the pair walked toward the gateway and entered.

* * *

**The other side of the portal...**

* * *

The trio came out on the other side in the middle of a large desert. All around them, dust picked up bits of sand and a bright sun cast down rays of immense heat. Looking around, they spotted what looked like a city about a mile north of their position. Hisana focused on the distant civilization for a moment.

"Wait a minute...is that what I think it is?" she said.

"What is it?" asked Axel.

Hisana turned toward the tall man. "I think I might know where we are, but I can't be sure until we get to that city."

"We better start walking then. It looks pretty far away." said Evelyn.

The others sighed and nodded in agreement before they began their trek across the sands. It was around twenty minutes later when they arrived at the edge of the city. There they were stopped by a man wearing thuggish clothing and holding a cross shaped sword in his hand. The man had a white streak in his short black hair, and stared down at the group as he looked over them.

"Who are you? What business do you have in Windbloom?" asked the man in a serious tone.

"Wait, did you say Windbloom?" asked Hisana.

"Yeah that's right, this is the city of Windbloom, ruled by King Siegfried."

Hisana's eyes shone with joy. "I knew it! I thought I recognized this place! I'm Hisana Takanashi, Ebony Takanashi's daughter."

The thuggish man's eyes widened. "You're one of Ebony's kids?! Wow, you grow fast!" he held out his hand to Hisana. "Name's Zwei, I'm captain of Siegfried's guards."

Hisana took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Zwei."

"So, who are these people?" his tone had become more laid back.

"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" Axel said with a smirk.

Zwei returned the smirk and nodded before looking at Evelyn.

"And you are?"

Evelyn paused for a moment. She averted her eyes as she answered. "Evelyn."

Zwei stared at her in slight confusion, but shrugged it off and returned his gaze to Hisana.

"Wait here a moment, I'll open the gate for you and your friends."

Zwei walked over to a nearby lever and pulled it. The fuselage slowly rose up, opening the path. Once it clicked into place, Zwei gestured toward the interior of the city.

"Welcome to Windbloom, Ms. Hisana."

A light blush of embarrassment spread across Hisana's cheeks, earning a light chuckle from Axel. "Just Hisana is fine, thanks. I'm not really anyone special."

"Like hell you aren't! You're the daughter of the woman who killed Yuu Koutari and ended the first multi-dimensional war. If I didn't treat you with at least _some_ respect, then Siegfried would never let me live it down." Zwei said as he lead the trio through the streets.

Hisana and Axel laughed a bit, but Evelyn remained silent. Underneath her carefully constructed indifferent expression, she was gritting her teeth in anger. After the group had reached the center of the city, Zwei left them to their own devices and returned to guarding the gate. Axel gave Hisana an impressed look.

"Wow, It's like you're royalty around here." he joked.

Hisana laughed. "Not really. My birth mother was a close friend of Siegfried, and spent a lot of her time here when she wasn't out fighting." she closed her eyes and took in the scent of the city around her. "It feels good to be back in my home country."

Axel gave her a confused look.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? My sister and I were born here. We moved to Karakura with Evelyn once nee-san and I were able to walk."

"Huh, who'd have known? So Evelyn, where're you fr-hey, are you alright?"

The tall woman was nervously glancing all about her, averting her eyes whenever someone looked over at her.

"Evelyn, what's wrong?" Hisana asked.

"I don't think I should be here...people might get anxious if they realize who I am." Evelyn responded.

Hisana's eyes widened in realization. "Oh...I'm sorry, I completely forgot! We don't have to stay here if you don't want to."

Axel rose an eyebrow at the two women. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not exactly welcome here in Windbloom." Evelyn explained.

"Why not?"

"It's because...because of my heritage. My full name is Evelyn Koutari."

Axel now understood. "You're Yuu's daughter."

Evelyn nodded. "Part of the reason I moved to Karakura town was to get away from all of the people who hated me. It's been awhile, but I'm pretty sure it won't take long for people to recognize me."

"I see...so, should we leave then?"

"Well, you and Hisana can stay if you want, but I should probably-"

"Evelyn? Is that you?" came a girl's voice.

Startled, Evelyn slowly turned to face the speaker. A young girl around the same height as Hisana was standing a few feet away from the group, along with a tall man with dark hair. The girl had shoulder length brown hair and deep crimson eyes, and her gaze was directed solely at the tall tan woman standing across from her. Evelyn's eyes met that of the girl's, and the two of them instantly smiled brightly.

"Tsuyo-sa/Onee-chan!" they cried as they ran toward each other.

Evelyn bent down and embraced the smaller girl. Tsuyo-sa wrapped her arms tightly around the tall woman, burying her face in Evelyn's long lavender locks. The two remained like this for a time, until they eventually pulled away to look at each other.

"Evelyn nee-san, is it really you?" Tsuyo-sa said.

Evelyn smiled down at the girl. "The one and only. It's been a long time, Tsuyo-sa. I've missed you."

Evelyn turned towards her friends, who stood staring at her in confusion.

"Ah, that's right. You may not remember her, Hisana, because it's been a couple years since we've last seen each other. This is Tsuyo-sa Irino, my half-sister."

While the siblings caught up with each other, Yasha introduced himself to Hisana and Axel. When they were done exchanging pleasantries, Tsuyo-sa told them about her battle with Augus.

"Really? You beat him all by yourself?" Evelyn said, impressed.

Tsuyo-sa scratched the back of her head nervously. "Well, I had some help from Yasha. It wasn't just me."

"I don't know, you seemed to be the only one between the two of us who was able to harm him. I think what you did was very impressive for one so young." said Yasha.

"I'll bet that Augus was one of the guardians Marluxia sent to this world." Axel stated.

"I was beginning to think the same thing. And if that's the case, then that means there are still two left in this world."

"I think you guys should speak with King Siegfried about this. He'll want all the knowledge he can get regarding our situation." Tsuyo-sa suggested.

The others nodded in agreement and followed the little brunette towards Fuuka Palace. As they walked through the streets, they made sure that Evelyn remained out of sight in the middle of their group, on the chance that someone were to recognize the daughter of Yuu and cause an uproar. Just as they were nearing the palace, a loud explosion suddenly broke the tranquil quiet of the city. The group turned toward the direction of the noise, and saw a smoke cloud beginning to trise from the edge of the city. An alarm began to ring throughout the city, and guards quickly ran past the group. Zwei came running up from a nearby alley towards the group.

"Zwei, what's going on?" asked Hisana.

"There's been an attack at the front gate! It's the Gohma!"

The group looked at each other in shared surprise. Yasha turned back to the captain.

"Leave it to us, we'll handle the Gohma."

Zwei nodded his head in thanks. The six of them headed toward the gate, weapons drawn.

"Kiyohime." a feminine voice suddenly called.

A large metal squid like monster with snakes for tentacles burst from the ground, seperating Yasha and Zwei from the others. A tall woman with long chestnut colored hair walked out of a nearby alley, clad in a high school uniform and holding an ornate crimson naginata. The woman brushed her hair out of her face and gazed down at the four fighters in front of her with seductive crimson eyes. Her lips were curled into an all knowing smirk.

"My, my, so you're the ones Mr. Marluxia was talking about? I must say, you are quite the catch, and a pretty one at that." said the woman.

Hisana put her zanpakutou into shikai mode and pointed her own pure white naginata at the woman. "Who are you?"

The woman made a slight bow. "Shizuru Fujino, nice to meet you."

"I take it you're a guardian?"

"That's correct."

Hisana looked over at Yasha and Zwei. "Go on ahead! We'll handle her!"

Zwei and Yasha nodded and ran towards the city gate.

"All of you against me? Sounds like a fair fight. But, I'm not the only guardian you have to worry about." Shizuru pointed towards Fuuka Palace. "Take a look."

The group watched as a red light rapidly sped toward the palace, disappearing behind the castle walls. Almost immediately after, the dying screams of castle guards could be heard rising over the walls.

"See what I mean?"

"The king!" Tsuyo-sa cried. The small brunette turned and started toward the palace.

"Evelyn, go with her! That guardian might be more than she can handle!" Hisana commanded.

"What about you?"

"We'll manage, now go!"

Reluctantly, Evelyn nodded and followed after her sibling. Hisana and Axel each took a stance. Shizuru just lightly chuckled and held her naginata in so that it lined up with her arm.

"Now then, shall we dance?"

* * *

Up on one of the castle ramparts, Siegfried stumbled as he blocked a powerful strike aimed at his head. His opponent was a mysterious figure who wore a hooded red cloak over a black tank top, pants, and combat boots. The figure fought with a katana that was just over average length, and had strands of silver lavender hair hanging out from their hood. Siegfried quickly rose to his feet and blocked right as the hooded figure sliced at him again. Shoving his opponent's weapon back, he then struck a defensive stance.

"Stop holding back on me. Or, have your skills deteriorated from lack of practice?" said the figure in a regal voice.

"Neither. I simply do not wish to harm you." Siegfried answered.

The figure grit their teeth in frustration. "It's far too late for that, bastard!"

Siegfried ducked under a lightning fast strike at his head before rolling to the side to dodge. Before he could resume his stance, the figure thrust its katana into Siegfried's unguarded shoulder. The king reeled back, clutching his wounded shoulder and glaring at his opponent.

"Have I not atoned for my sins? Have I not tried to make up for what I have done? Why can't you see that I only want peace between us?"

"Never..." the figure struck at Siegfried. "...Never..." they struck again. "NEVER! There will never be anything you can do! I will never forgive you, and I will never call you 'brother'!"

With a cry of anger, the figure in red slashed at the king with al their might. The blow was so strong that Siegfried's zweihander was torn from his grasp, and embedded itself in the concrete floor of the rampart a few feet behind him. The figure then pointed their blade at Siegfried's throat, glaring at him with pale blue eyes from beneath their hood. Siegfried looked directly into the eyes of his opponent, seeing every bit of pain and hate within them.

"If Kaia saw you doing this, what would she think?" he said, calmly.

The figured stiffened for a moment. "She doesn't have to know. Not if I get rid of you here and now." they rested the tip of their katana on the king's head.

Siegfried showed no signs of fear at the gesture. "Is this really what you want? Will killing me really make you happy, sister?"

"Do not call me sister!" the figure cried. "You tried to destroy this kingdom, _my_ kingdom! You raped my sister!"

"I did not rape her." Siegfried was now glaring furiously at the hooded woman. "Kaia and I slept with each other of our own free will. Never once did I try to force myself on her. I know the consequences of our union were dire, and have done my best to redeem my actions."

The hooded woman bared her teeth. "I've had enough of your lies. I'm sending you back to hell!"

The woman raised her sword. Siegfried closed his eyes and stood still.

"If that will ease the anger in your heart, then so be it."

Just as the hooded woman was about to bring down her sword, she sensed something coming her way. She leapt to the side just in time for a pair of curved blades attached to long chains fly past her. She turned toward the source of the attack and saw a young girl with an enormous flambard leaping toward her. The hooded woman brought up her katana in time to stop the massive blade from splitting her head in two. However, the serrated edge of the blade tore away at her hood, tearing apart the weak fabric. The woman in red leapt back just as her hood came completely undone. By this time Tsuyo-sa and Evelyn had already placed themselves between her and Siegfried. The king looked at the short brunette and the tall woman.

"Tsuyo-sa? What are you doing here? And who is this?" Siegfried gestured to Evelyn.

"Evelyn Koutari, your majesty." Evelyn said.

"Koutari? As in..."

"The very same. But don't worry, I'm on your side. This is my little sister's home after all, I can't just let it fall."

Siegfried turned to Tsuyo-sa. "Sister?"

"Her 'father' was Yuu, my 'father' was Strength. Since they're technically the same person, we're related. She's my half-sister."

"I see..."

The woman in red held on to the remnants of her hood. "Consorting with the offspring of our enemy? I never figured you'd sink that low, Siegfried."

Tsuyo-sa glared at the woman. "Who are you? Why are you after his highness?"

The woman lowered her arm, releasing the remains of her hood. A long mane of silver lavender hair cascaded down the woman's shoulders all the way down to her waist. The woman slowly opened her pale blue eyes, which perfectly framed her beautiful face. There was an aura of royalty about her, and she glared at the three before her with contempt.

"I am Notokishi Blan de Windbloom." the woman said.

The siblings paused in confusion. "Windbloom? Then wouldn't that make you-" Evelyn began.

"My sister in law." Siegfried finished.

Notokishi bared her teeth. "I told you not to call me 'sister'!"

The fallen princess charged toward the king. Tsuyo-sa blocked her strike and shoved her back, and Evelyn sent her a powerful thrust kick that sent her skidding back a solid 15 feet. Notokishi clutched her stomach in genuine surprise and pain, then glared at the siblings.

"This was supposed to be between me and him, no one else had to get involved. But if you stand in my way..." she readied her katana. "Then I will show you no mercy."

* * *

Hisana rolled to the side as Shizuru's naginata extended toward her, piercing the concrete where she had previously been standing. The HiME continued to smile down at her opponent from atop a small building. Nearby, Axel was having a hard time fighting off Kiyohime. The huge Child gave the pyro barely anytime to attack as it endlessly lashed out at him with its snake head tentacles. Shizuru leapt down from the rooftop with her element pointed straight at Hisana. The dark haired girl spun and thrust her zanpakutou forward to meet the HiME's attack the two naginata's slid against each other, driving both attacks off course. Hisana used Shizuru's momentary loss of balance to bring the pommel of her blade into the HiME's stomach. Shizuru let out a grunt of pain as she was flung aside. Catching her balance, the HiME quickly positioned her blade and the extended tip shot forward. Hisana side stepped out of its path and swung at the fragile chords connecting the segments of the blade. Shizuru quickly withdrew her weapon, only to find that nearly half of her blade had been severed. A small amount of ice had formed over what remained of the element where Hisana had cut it. Glaring internally, Shizuru somersaulted backwards into the air. Kiyohime withdrew from its battle with an exhausted Axel and crawled to its mistress's side in time for Shizuru to land on its head.

"Not bad, little lady." Shizuru said. "Looks like you're not as weak as I thought, I'll have to step it up a bit."

Shizuru summoned a new naginata to her hand and pointed it at Hisana.

"Kiyohime, destroy her."

The huge Child focused its full attention on Hisana, and began to lash out with its snake heads. Hisana struggled against the endless onslaught, narrowly avoiding being ripped apart by the many sets of fangs that snapped at her. One of the heads caught her when she was off balance and latched its teeth onto Hisana's weapon. To its and her surprise, the head's fangs froze completely solid after coming in contact with the tip of the naginata. Realization dawning on her, Hisana pulled her blade from the serpent head's mouth, shattering its fangs. While Shizuru paused in confusion, Hisana shot a glance at the tip of her zanpakutou. The same freezing effect had occurred when she was fighting the Balrog. _And here I thought you were a light type zanpakutou...looks like you've got a few tricks up your sleeve, Tenshi no Shirayuki._ Hisana readied her blade as Shizuru prepared to strike again. Shizuru extended her element, and Kiyohime lashed out with its snake heads. Hisana deflected her opponent's blade, but the force of the eight snake heads slammed into her all at once, and she was thrown against a nearby building. Shizuru chuckled lightly as Kiyohime closed in for the kill.

"I'm afraid you've lost, pretty girl." she mused. She then pointed a single finger at Hisana. "Kiyohime, finish-"

_SCHINK!_

Shizuru stared wide eyed at her hand. The finger she had been pointing at Hisana had vanished, only a bloody stump remained. Axel stood on the ground below, with Hisana behind him and his chakrams in hand.

"Now, now, is that any way to treat a pretty little girl?" said Axel.

Shizuru's smile returned, but she was now glaring at the nobody with absolute hate.

"Kiyohime, destroy." she half whispered, half growled.

The huge Child prepared to lunge at the pair before it. Axel prepared to meet the attack, when suddenly he noticed white feathers begin to fall in front of him. Confused, he turned around to face Hisana. His eyes widened in surprise at what he saw. Hisana was standing straight up behind him, with a pair of brilliant white angelic wings. The dark haired girl's eyes were shrouded by the shadow cast by her wings. She held her zanpakutou high, and the sky began to darken. Suddenly, snow began to fall. Hisana was slowly lifted into the sky by her wings, stopping when she was at eye level with Shizuru. The HiME was completely captivated by the girl before her, all thoughts of the battle had fled her mind. Hisana slowly lifted her head and lowered her blade.

"Shiroi tenshi, no handan." (white angel's judgement) she whispered softly.

Hisana's eyes met Shizuru's as her blade became level with the HiME's heart. Shizuru could only stare into the depths of the angelic girl's now violet eyes. She saw a blinding light appear above Hisana, then felt an immense pain in her chest before her vision went black. Down on the ground below, Axel was still staring in shock at what had transpired. A gargantuan spike made of ice had descended from the light in the sky at an impossible speed, and had impaled the HiME through the center of her chest. Upon its master's death, Kiyohime dissolved into nothingness, leaving Shizuru's corpse suspended in the air by the spike. Still bearing wings, Hisana slowly descended to the ground just below Shizuru. A few drops of the HiME's blood fell onto her open hand. Hisana's gaze slowly settled on the dark liquid. A sudden strange hunger rose within her, and she subconsciously brought her hand up to her mouth. Without intending to, her mouth opened up and her tongue stuck out towards her bloodied hand.

"Hisana?"

Axel's voice brought her back to reality. Her wings disappeared, and she looked up at Shizuru's corpse. She turned back to Axel, her eyes having turned back to blue.

"What...what happened? Did I do this?" she said wearily.

Axel nodded. "Damn right you did. That was one hell of a move, with the wings and the sky turning dark and that big ass spike appearing out of nowhere."

Hisana gave a confused look. "I had wings? I turned the sky dark? That sounds a little too unbelievable."

Now it was Axel's turn to look confused. "You really don't remember? Not even when you were about to..." he paused, unsure whether or not to explain the fact that she just tried to lick blood off her fingers.

"About to what?"

"...nothing. Let's go help the others." he would definitely have to look into this later.

* * *

Back on the ramparts, Tsuyo-sa flew to the ground upon receiving a powerful kick that had struck the side of her head. Healing factor or not, the impact of the small girl's head on concrete immediately rendered her unconscious. Notokishi turned away from the small girl and towards her older sibling, who stood littered with cuts and bruises in front of Siegfried not far away. Evelyn glared at the woman in red from behind her eye mask. They had been fighting for little more than five minutes, and already she was feeling exhausted. Notokishi had proven to be a difficult opponent, and had barely taken a scratch throughout the entire battle. At first Evelyn had wondered how a mere human could counter her and Tsuyo-sa's supernaturally enhanced strength, but around two minutes into their fight, the answer presented itself. Notokishi was not a normal human. The princess was in fact an incredibly powerful otome, and as a result had strength and speed that exceeded that of other humans. Her G.E.M. also had a unique ability that had proved to be quite troublesome: partial materialization. Notokishi could materialize her talon elements at will, without having to equip Robe. This had become evident when Tsuyo-sa had temporarily disarmed the princess, and tried to hit her with the flat of her flambard. Foot long metallic red talons had suddenly formed over Notokishi's fingertips, and the princess blocked the blow with ease. The next two minutes of the battle had been comprised mostly of Tsuyo-sa and Evelyn trying to keep themselves from being cut to shreds by the princess. Now Tsuyo-sa was down for the count, and since Siegfried was still wounded from his earlier duel with Notokishi, Evelyn was the only one left to face her.

"You are strong, hellspawn, I'll give you that. You're the third person I've had to call on my powers to fight." Notokishi stated.

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "You know, I figured that since you were a relative of Queen Kaia, you wouldn't judge me so harshly just because of my lineage. But I guess not everyone in the Wind royal family is that kind."

Notokishi scoffed. "Forgive me for my harsh words, but you have tried my patience and have chosen to take the side of an outcast. In my eyes, you are no better than him or your demon of a mother."

Before Notokishi could say another word, Evelyn exploded toward her at supersonic speed, a trail of blue hellfire flowing behind her. The princess watched in shock as the tan woman thrust her fist into her gut.

**"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"** Evelyn roared.

She thrust her arm further forward, propelling Notokishi away from her at until the princess struck concrete. Notokishi struggled to rise to her feet, coughing up a fair amount of blood. _With just one hit...?_ the princess pondered. Her train of thought was cut short when she felt Evelyn's chains wrap around her waist and yank her forward. The enraged tan woman pulled her fist back in preparation as Notokishi drew near. The princess desperately threw her talons in front of her for defense. Evelyn let out a demonic yell as her fist rocketed forward, smashing the elements to bits. Notokishi barely had time to tilt her head aside to avoid the chance it might be punched straight off. However, she did not escape unscathed, as a fragment of her talons cut across her right eye. Wincing in pain, Notokishi kicked Evelyn back and leapt away. The princess staggered a bit as she caught her ground, and gripped her right eye. The wound was not deep, and had only scraped the surface of the fragile sight organ. Now that she had some breathing room, Notokishi could get a good look at Evelyn's face. The eye mask had vanished, and the tan woman now glared at her through hate filled fiery blue orbs. A flaming blue aura radiated off of Evelyn as she slowly stomped toward Notokishi. The princess glanced behind her. Her katana was too far away for her to risk getting, and she dared not face her enraged opponent in a bout of physical strength, which left her with only one option: miryoku. Sighing in frustration, Notokishi steadied herself and held out her hand.

"Release Miryoku!" (beautiful power) she yelled.

At her command, the fragments of her shattered talons began to reshape themselves into a large blood red scythe. The weapon completed taking shape and settled in the princess's hand. Notokishi took a firm grip on the weapon with both hands.

"This ends now!" she declared. Without warning, Notokishi burst toward Evelyn at an impossible speed. "Crimson Reaper's Dance!"

Time seemed to slow down as Notokishi's blade descended on Evelyn. The attack was too accurate to miss, and too fast to dodge. Notokishi knew this. WHich is why she was all the more surprised to find herself suddenly being held by the throat, with angry blue eyes boring into her. _Impossible...she dodged it?!_ the princess thought. She looked over at her scythe. The curved blade lay partially embedded in Evelyn's side, with the tan woman's hand keeping it from going all the way through her middle and cutting her in half. Evelyn bared her teeth.

**"You're just like the rest of them. You don't understand. You don't understand at all!" **Evelyn growled.** "I know that my mother did horrible, unforgivable things to your world and others, but did any of you ever really know her? Did you ever try to understand why she did what she did? Did you ever consider that perhaps despite all the wrongs she committed, that she wasn't as evil as you suspected? My mother lov**ed me, and did her best to raise me so that I wouldn't end up like her! I have tried every day of my life to show you that I am not the demon you think I am!"

Her rage began to die with each word.

"I've put up with your hateful words, all your threats and curses, because I believe that you will eventually come to see that I am not your enemy, that eventually you will even forgive me..."

Notokishi stared back at the tan woman in surprised confusion. Evelyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, they had returned to their original amber hue.

"Because I know that there is more to you than your rage, I will spare your life. But I cannot simply leave you be, a guardian must be defeated."

With that, Evelyn drew back her head. The meaning of her words, along with her forehead, were the last things Notokishi felt before her face collided with pavement, signifying her defeat.

* * *

**36 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait, I was struck by a bad case of writer's block and excess work. From here on out, the story will be told in third person perspective. The first person view of the previous chapters was meant as an introduction for the lead cast. Don't forget to review and keep reading! Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Child of Darkness**

* * *

**London, sometime, somewhere else…**

* * *

**Shinzo's Group**

* * *

Shinzo Takanashi steadily walked down the dimly lit streets of London. Lucky for the red and black swordswoman, the sun had already gone down when she arrived, allowing her blood red eyes to shine to their fullest. Xalir walked a few paces behind her, seething with his usual endless rage. The pair had ended up in the great city mere minutes ago, following after the trio that left before them. Whether or not the other group of competitors had wound up in the same world as them, it was still unclear. As the dark pair wandered through the streets, searching for guardians, Shinzo suddenly stood straight up in alarm. Xalir immediately summoned his scepter in preparation for a fight.

"**What is it? Is there a guardian nearby?"** said the soulless.

Shinzo just stared off into space blankly. Xalir tilted his head in confusion.

"**Hey, you alright lady?"**

Shinzo's mouth slowly crept into a sinister smile. She turned to face her shorter ally with excitement shining in her eyes.

"I'm absolutely wonderful." she replied.

Xalir just rose an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders.

"**Whatever. Just quit spacing out so we can get going."**

Shinzo nodded, and they continued on their way. The swordswoman couldn't help but think back on the feeling she had a moment ago. Her sister was far away, but in those brief few seconds, her younger sibling had succumbed to her inner demon. Whether or not Hisana had joined her amongst the ranks of the damned, it was still unclear. Nonetheless, the very thought of her younger sibling becoming a being of darkness like her filled Shinzo with excitement. She now released her reiatsu to its full extent. If anything even remotely powerful or connected to the afterlife was in the city, then it would be found shortly. Seconds later, Shinzo snapped her head to the right. Her senses had detected something not far away. She smiled sinisterly and drew her twin zanpakutou before heading off in the direction of the disturbance. Xalir also smiled insanely as he took off after her. Moments later, the pair entered a brightly lit plaza. In the center of the plaza stood a tall woman with a violet streak running through her head of short dark hair. The woman wore a full suit of armor, along with a vest and a banner like cape, and in her hand she held a long rapier. The woman was surrounded by small knee high creatures who wore purple cloaks to cover their bodies and wielded a variety of weapons. The woman caught sight of Shinzo and Xalir as they emerged from the shadows.

The woman smirked. "So, you are the girl that everyone is talking about. The one who singlehandedly slew two guardians." she said in a very French accent.

Shinzo returned the smirk. "That's correct. Will you allow me the pleasure of knowing your name before I destroy you, guardian?"

"I am Fiora, grand duelist of Demacia. I have chosen to enforce Marluxia's rule in this world so that I may face you." Fiora pointed her blade at Shinzo. "From what I have heard, you are a worthy opponent."

Shinzo brought her blades into their shikai form. "It appears that you and I favor the rapier. Care to make this interesting?"

"I'm listening."

"To show you how skillful I am, I will use only the pair in my hands, and will not call upon the powers of a soul reaper. As for you, feel free to use any technique or power that you possess. Sound fair?"

"Very well. I accept your challenge."

"Good. Xalir, go play with the little ones. Leave the guardian to me."

Xalir just roared in response and charged toward Fiora's minions.

"Good boy."

Shinzo and Fiora approached each other. Both duelists bowed their heads and readied their weapons. They stood glaring at each other for a moment, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Fiora grew tired of waiting, and with a declarative shout of 'en garde!' thrust her sword forward, beginning the duel. Shinzo easily parried the thrust and slashed with her dual blades. Fiora somersaulted backwards out of the way, then charged forward, blade first. Shinzo barely had time to step aside and avoid the attack. As Fiora stood up, Shinzo lashed out at her, thrusting both swords forward. A quick flash of silver went over Fiora, and Shinzo's blades went veering off course upon touching her armor. Before Shinzo could recover, Fiora sent a quick triple slash at her opponent. Shinzo backed away a few steps, injuries already healed. Fiora didn't give her time to prepare a counterattack and rushed forward, rapidly swinging and thrusting at high speeds. Shinzo struggled against the initial strike, then quickly matched Fiora's pace. The duelists began weaving around each other in an endless exchange of blows, their blades whistling and clashing in an almost musical rhythm. Both fighters wore a look of amusement and joy on their faces, both excited at being allowed to fight an opponent with similar abilities and strengths. But they both knew that no matter how much they enjoyed their duel, it would eventually have to end with one of them either broken or dead. After one final exchange, Fiora and Shinzo leapt apart from each other. The red-eyed girl had no visible injuries, though she had been struck numerous times. Fiora on the other hand had very noticeable scars along her arms and waist, as well as a couple on either cheek.

"Incredible. You are even more talented than I had heard." the Demacian admitted. "Are you certain you are upholding your promise? I do not see a scratch on you."

"I can honestly say that I have kept my word. I have not once used the power of a soul reaper during our duel." Shinzo replied. "I happen to have an abnormal healing ability, and I cannot suppress it no matter how hard I try. Do not think this makes me invincible, you simply haven't given me an injury serious enough to be fatal."

"So what you are saying…is that I must hit you as hard and as precisely as I can?"

Shinzo nodded. "Pretty much."

Fiora smirked. "Very well then. If you would be so kind as to hold still…"

Before Shinzo could reply, Fiora became a silver blur and disappeared. All of sudden, Fiora reappeared above her and thrust downwards. Not even a second after, Fiora was running her blade through Shinzo's chest. Then she was at her back, then at her right, then her left, until she once again struck from above. Fiora then reappeared in front of Shinzo. The red-eyed girl stood still for a moment, then blood exploded from several areas on her body. Shinzo fell down on one knee and hung her head low. Fiora closed her eyes and sighed.

"It is a shame that our duel must end like this. You were the greatest opponent I had ever faced."

"Also…" a voice said suddenly from behind her.

Fiora's eyes shot open in alarm. She turned around quickly to see Shinzo standing right behind her, completely unharmed.

"…I am the last opponent you will ever face."

Fiora glanced back to where the red-eyed girl had been kneeling a moment before. The only thing there was a small puddle of blood. Readying her sword again, Fiora returned her gaze to Shinzo.

"How? How did you survive?" the Demacian questioned.

Shinzo chuckled and slowly walked toward her. "You weren't strong enough."

Before Fiora could even try to move, Shinzo ran both of her rapiers through her chest. Fiora sank to her knees, dropping her sword and vomiting up blood. Her vision began to blur, but she could register the hungry glow of Shinzo's eyes as she lifted her head up by the chin so that they were gazing into each other's eyes. Shinzo leaned close to Fiora and inhaled sharply. She licked her lips as the scent of freshly spilt blood filled her nostrils. Shinzo leaned in to whisper in the Demacian's ear.

"Sweet dreams." she said seductively.

It was the last thing Fiora heard before rows of jagged canines tore ravenously into her neck. Fiora gasped once, then her eyes rolled back and she was still. Xalir finished off the last of the minions and looked over at his partner. He watched as she drained every last drop of Fiora's blood from her body before standing up and letting the corpse fall to the ground in a crumpled heap. As Shinzo licked the last bit of blood from her lips, he sighed and kicked at a dead minion. Finished, Shinzo returned her zanpakutou to its original state and began walking over to him.

"Did you enjoy playing with the little pieces of trash?" Shinzo asked snidely.

Xalir scoffed. **"They were boring as hell. The only thing they had going for them was the fact that there were so many of them."** the blue haired boy groaned. **"What about you? Did you enjoy eating the only decent opponent?"**

"Indeed I did."

"**Well now that you've had something to eat, can we move on?"**

"That depends on whether or not the old man who's been watching us is a guardian…" Shinzo turned and looked to the side. "or just a careless observer who can't mind his own business."

Xalir followed her gaze and saw the silhouette of a tall man in a long coat and hat standing on the roof of a nearby building. The man wore a pair of glasses with bright red lenses that reflected off the moonlight. The man's pure white teeth shone from the darkness caused by his hat.

Shinzo stared at the man indifferently. "So, which are you? Friend or enemy?"

"Me? I am just a humble observer enjoying watching the results of his actions come to fruition." the man said in archaic and deep voice.

He leapt down from the building and stood before Shinzo. Now that he had entered the light, the deep crimson which covered nearly all of his clothing could be seen. The man was taller than Shinzo by almost two feet, yet she did not seem fazed at all.

"I am glad to see that you have grown into quite the vampire, Shinzo Takanashi." the man continued.

Shinzo's eyes widened slightly. "You know my name?"

"Oh, I know much more than that. Since the day you were born, I have kept a close watch on you, carefully monitoring your progress towards becoming what you truly are."

Shinzo now showed genuine surprise. "Who are you?"

The man took off his hat and glasses, revealing black hair and eyes that were as red as hers.

"I am the one who gave you your power. I am the one who turned Yomi Takanashi into a vampire." the man pursed his lips into an all-knowing smile. "My name is Alucard."

* * *

To say the Hellsing estate was a prestigious place was an understatement. From the moment she laid eyes on the building, Shinzo underwent a rare feeling of inferiority. The building was simply enormous, with hundreds of acres of grassy fields in every direction. Alucard had insisted that Shinzo come with him back to the estate, on the pretense that he would completely explain his connection to her. Xalir took off in some inexplicable frenzy to go after his other self, so she decided that she might as well accept the offer. Who knows, the ancient vampire might lead her to another guardian. Shinzo followed Alucard as he lead her down one of the many long hallways of the estate. At the end of the hallway was a door with a nameplate that read: 'Sir Hellsing'. Alucard turned around to face the younger vampire.

"Before we go in, I must ask that you behave yourself to the fullest. My master doesn't take kindly to vampires she doesn't know. Then again, she doesn't really take to anyone." he let out a small chuckle.

Shinzo composed herself and stood up straight. Alucard nodded in approval, then opened the door. Stepping inside, Shinzo found herself staring across the room at a tan woman with long blonde hair and glasses wearing business attire. To the right of the woman was another woman with shorter blonde hair, red eyes, what looked like swirling darkness in place of her left arm, and a crimson police uniform who stood leaning against a wall and inspecting a rather large gun. The blonde with a gun was the first to notice Shinzo, and gave her a childish look of curiosity, shortly before switching to a deathly glare and pointing her gun (or rather, a cannon) at Shinzo. The action caused Shinzo to instinctively reach for her swords and return the glare.

"Before they blow the room apart, would you mind introducing your guest, Sir Alucard?" the woman in business attire said, looking up from the paperwork on her desk.

"Of course, master." Alucard glanced at the armed blonde. "Stand down, police girl. You're practically pointing that thing at family."

The blonde shot him a puzzled look, but lowered her weapon nonetheless. Shinzo made a similar expression as she let go of her swords.

"Family?" she said.

"I'll explain in a bit." Alucard gestured a hand toward the short girl. "Allow me to introduce Shinzo Takanashi, daughter of Yomi and Ebony Takanashi, the saviors of the multiverse."

The woman on the other side of the room stood up from behind her desk and walked over to Shinzo. Now that she was close, Shinzo could make out the woman's blue eyes and intelligent smirk as she held out her hand.

"I am Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Takanashi." she said.

Shinzo returned the gesture and shook the woman's hand. "The pleasure is mine, Ms. Hellsing."

Alucard then looked at the other woman in the room. "Police girl, introduce yourself."

The blonde nodded and walked beside Shinzo. With a bright smile, she held out her regular hand.

"My name is Ceras Victoria, nice to meet you." she said in a high voice.

"Likewise."

Ceras scratched the back of her head nervously. "Sorry about earlier. Force of habit."

"It's no big deal."

Integra turned to Alucard. "I believe you owe us some explanations, Alucard. Why is this girl here, and what did you mean by 'family'?"

The ancient vampire smiled sinisterly. "I was just about to get to that. Everyone, please make yourselves comfortable. I have a lot to say."

Once everyone in the room was either seated or leaning on a wall, Alucard continued.

"I have brought Ms. Takanashi here to tell her some things about herself that she would be most inclined to know. Such as the reason why I called her and police girl 'family'. In case you haven't already guessed, Shinzo is a vampire, just like the police girl and me."

"That explains the red eyes and the leftover blood stain on her lip." Integra noted.

Shinzo ran a finger over her lips and saw that there indeed was some of the life giving liquid leftover from earlier. Without a second thought, she licked the fluid from her finger.

Alucard cleared his throat before continuing. "Yes. However, unlike most vampires, she was not turned into what she is now. She was born a vampire. The reason for this is most likely because I turned one of her parents, Yomi Takanashi. She must have inherited Yomi's vampirism, and as a result she is an extraordinarily powerful vampire. Possibly even more powerful than me."

A dread silence fell upon the room at the last sentence. Both Ceras and Integra stared wide-eyed at Shinzo, who sat looking at the reflection of her eyes from her sword.

"You must be damn powerful to make a statement like that, old man." said the swordswoman. "But I have a whole lot of questions for you. Let's start with why I didn't notice I was a vampire up until a fem months ago, a little after I turned three."

Ceras's jaw practically dropped to the floor. "You're only three years old?!"

"Well I'm certainly not thirty."

"But you look around my age!"

"It's a side effect of the method used to conceive her and her sister." Alucard explained. "She develops into adulthood at a much faster rate, so even though she's technically only a three year old, she has the body and brain of a fully grown adult. Now as for your question, it is probably best if I explained that to you in private. You can ask me anything you want as soon as we're alone."

"But why can't I know anything, master?" Ceras asked, pouting.

"I agree with Ceras, what is so secret about her that you must keep it from even me, Alucard?" asked Integra.

"Let's just say I'm respecting a good friend's last wishes." Alucard said with a smirk.

Integra just sighed. "Very well. Just don't make a habit of this."

"No guarantees, master."

With that, Alucard and Shinzo left for the guest room, where Shinzo was told she could spend the night. After they were behind closed doors, Alucard immediately dropped his sly expression for a much more serious one.

"How much do you already know?" he asked in a menacing tone.

"I know that I'm more than just a vampire." Shinzo replied in an equally cold voice. "I know that Hisana and I are special...in more ways than she realizes."

"Do you know that the two of you have enough power inside you to rival that of a god?"

Shinzo smirked. "Well, I wouldn't say that powerful..."

"True, for the blood is more potent in you than in her. But..." Alucard loomed over the short girl, and reached out toward her. "Do you know...that this face is only an illusion?"

The ancient vampire ran his fingers down the girl's cheek. Her skin turned ghostly pale at his touch, and her hair began to lose its color. Shinzo swatted his hand away, and her features returned to normal.

"Don't touch me." she growled. "I don't know exactly what I am, but I am well aware that it is not human."

"Does Hisana know?"

Shinzo shook her head. "No, she's barely begun to discover her power."

Alucard sighed. "They had hoped that you would never find out. They wanted you and your sister to have normal lives."

"They?"

"Your parents, Yomi and Ebony. They knew full well the possibilities of their children becoming monsters, much like them. Neither Ebony nor Yomi wanted that for either of you, so Yomi put a charm to hide your true forms. But there is a way to break the spell, though I do not approve of it."

Shinzo was curious. "How?"

"You must drink your sister's blood. The taste of your twin's blood will cast off the illusion."

"I see..."

"Now for the big question..." he stared straight into the girl's eyes. "Do you have feelings for your sister?"

Shinzo froze for a moment. Unsure of how to respond, she looked away from Alucard. "That's...not important..."

"I think you'll find it is _very_ important!" Alucard yelled, startling her. "It could quite possibly determine the fate of the multiverse! Now tell me, do you love Hisana?"

Shinzo glared furiously at the ancient vampire. "Yes! I'm in love with my own fucking sister! Are you happy now?"

Alucard stepped back, placing a hand on his forehead. He sank into a nearby chair and pinched the brim of his nose.

"It's already happening...I thought we had more time..."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Alucard rested his head in his hand, tightly gripping the arm of the chair with the other. "I once knew a man by the name of Shosetsuka. He had the power to see the fates of others. He saw your birth mother's fate...he saw your future...he saw what would happen if you and Hisana were to mate...if you were to conceive a child...and the only word he could use to describe it was 'tragedy'."

Shinzo paused. She clenched her fists as rage built up inside her. "Just what exactly...are you saying?"

Alucard glared at her. "Don't you understand? You cannot pursue those feelings! There is darkness in your heart, greater than any I have ever seen. If what you desire comes to pass...then you will undoubtedly unleash armageddon on us all!"

Shinzo grabbed Alucard by his tie and bared her teeth. "And who are you to speak of reason and morals? You are a creature of darkness as well! Isn't annihilation something you should crave?"

"What I want and what is best for the multiverse are two different things! I crave blood and carnage, and I will exploit my world toward that end. But I will not sacrifice other worlds just for the sake of more bloodshed, no matter how sweet it may be!"

"I can't fucking believe this...I thought of all people, a fellow vampire would understand me. I don't want to bring destruction to the multiverse, and nor do I wish to have Hisana bare my offspring. I just want her to love me!"

Alucard bared his own teeth. "She cannot love you. You don't understand-"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND!"

No longer able to contain her rage, Shinzo slapped Alucard as hard as she could. The ancient vampire could feel his face stinging with pain as a mark grew. Shinzo let go of his tie, and opened the door.

"Get out." she growled.

Alucard glared at her before standing up and exiting. Just as he was about to go down the hallway, he turned around one last time.

"You can't run from the truth." was all he said before he disappeared.

Shinzo slammed the door shut. She stood there for a time, still seething with anger. "I don't care..." she whispered.

Her rage slowly turned to depression, and soon tears were streaming down her face. She fell onto the guest room bed and buried her face in the pillows. For the rest of the night, the sound of quiet sobbing rang through the halls of the Hellsing estate.

* * *

When evening came the next day, Shinzo resumed her search. The heated exchange from the night before played like a broken record in her head, forcing her to bury it deep within her mind so she could focus her full attention on the task at hand. Luckily, she felt a large fluctuation of power nearby, giving her a much needed distraction and quickening her progress. Shinzo hastened toward the source of the disturbance, but when she arrived she found only a bloody mass of purple, insect like limbs and wings, with Xalir's foot planted on top of the mess. The blue haired soulless looked over with his one red eye as a disappointed Shinzo approached.

**"Look who finally decided to show up. I got to fight this thing all by myself. He had the weirdest name too. Kha'Zix or something like that. Guess that makes us even, doesn't it?"** said Xalir.

"Whatever. As long as the guardian is dead, I don't give a fuck who kills it." Shinzo responded coldly.

**"Geez, what's got you so pissed off?"**

"None of your damn business."

Xalir shrugged his shoulders. **"If you say so."**

"Let's just hurry up and look for the last guardian. The sooner we kill it, the sooner we can leave. I just hope we won't have to look far..."

"Oh, y'won't have t'worry about that, lass." said a very Scottish voice.

Shinzo and Xalir turned around to see a very tall man with short blonde hair, glasses, and a cross hanging from his neck. He wore a long jacket, and held a bayonet shaped sword in either hand. It only took one glance to know that he was the final guardian of this world. Shinzo drew her weapons, which instantly went into shikai form.

"Who the hell are you, guardian?" demanded the swordswoman.

"Father Alexander Anderson, ye devil." the man responded.

**"He's a priest?"** questioned Xalir.

"Aye! A servant of the lord devoted to riddin the world of yer heathen hides!"

Shinzo stepped between Xalir and Anderson. "Xalir, back off. I'll take him by myself."

**"Again? I don't think so-"**

"Xalir. I said..." she turned and glared at him with a fury that rivaled his own. "BACK. OFF."

The soulless was so surprised at the anger in his partner's eyes, that it took him a moment to register that blades were clashing and the fight had begun. Anderson was just as fast as his short opponent, making it difficult for Shinzo to catch him off guard. After exchanging blows for a few minutes though, she saw an opening and sliced both her swords across the priest's face. Anderson fell to the ground, motionless. Shinzo scoffed and made to sheathe her blades.

"Well that was easy..." she muttered.

"It ain't over yet, lass."

Shinzo leapt back just as a trio of bayonets flew past her. She turned in surprise to see Anderson standing up again, with no traces of his previous injuries. The vampiress grit her teeth in annoyance. The priest had regenerative abilities, just like her. Anderson became aware of this as well when he sent a barrage of bayonets that stabbed into Shinzo's chest and stomach, but didn't seem to have any effect.

"Well how 'bout that, lass? Ye and I have the same kind'a protection."

"It looks that way. At this rate, the battle will carry on for ages."

"Aye. So t'save some time..." Anderson readied his blades and burst toward Shinzo. "Fight with everythin you've got, ye devil!"

Shinzo met the first blow with one of her own, the began to attack with all the speed and strength she could muster. But no matter how hard she fought, no matter how hard she tried, it was still not enough. The priest simply would not die. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of exchanging blows, her inability to overcome Anderson caused her to take several injuries, from which she was actually forced to stagger back and catch her breath.

"Give it up, lass. Yer no match for me." Anderson stated sternly.

Shinzo shook with rage. "Shut up!"

She charged at him, and once again Anderson beat her back.

"This is becomin sad. Don't embarass yerself any further."

"I said shut up! You're in the way...all of you are always in the way! All anyone ever does is tell me that what I want is impossible! That having the love I yearn for will on**ly end in destruction! Well I...am...SICK OF IT!"**

A bright red aura erupted around Shinzo, and she let out a monstrous roar. Her rapiers began to become a hellish fusion of flesh and steel, transforming into a demonic pair of longswords. Her eyes became completely red, and radiated an ethereal glow. The center of her breastplate broke off, and the exposed skin began to darken and become demonically twisted. Spikes grew from her shoulders, ripping apart the armor that previously occupied the space. Anderson watched in genuine shock as the nightmarish transformation ended, with the red aura still raging around Shinzo.

**"Rrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaahhhhh!"** Shinzo roared as she exploded toward the priest.

Anderson barely stopped the blades from crashing down on his skull. He soon found himself struggling to keep his opponents transformed swords at bay, and felt his arms begin to weaken under the strain. Somehow, the transformation had granted Shinzo with an enormous new level of strength, and she pressed down so hard on her enemy's weapons, that the priest's arms snapped and broke in half under the pressure. As Anderson's arms fell to the ground with a thud, Shinzo plunged her swords into his gut. She then let go of her swords and drove her fingers into the priest's chest.

**"Insolent priest! Give me your blood! Give me your soul!"** Shinzo screamed.

There was a terrible ripping sound as the enraged vampiress tore open Anderson's chest. As blood began gushing form the wound, Shinzo reached into it with her mouth and clamped her canines down on the priest's heart. There was a grotesque _crunch_, then Alexander Anderson saw no more. Shinzo withdrew her mouth from the priest's chest, swallowing a chunk of the vital organ. Anderson's bloody and mangled corpse collapsed to the ground. Shinzo let out a bloodcurdling scream before bursting into a fit of insane laughter, blood spilling onto the pavement with each chuckle.

**"All those who try to keep me from my beloved Hisana will die! If anyone stands in my way, I will destroy them and devour their remains! Ahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahaha!"**

On a rooftop some distance away, Alucard watched as the vampiress proceeded to continue feeding on Anderson's remains. A single, regretful thought went through his head. _I tried to set things right...I tried to change the course of fate...and yet I feel that I have only ensured our doom._

* * *

**33 Guardians Remaining...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Countermeasures**

* * *

**Unknown location, meanwhile…**

* * *

"Damn, what a mess." Grimmjow muttered in surprise.

"It appears she is more dangerous than we realized." Sephiroth noted.

"And it seems this is only a fraction of what she's capable of…" Marluxia whispered.

"**Hmm…."** Nightmare growled.

The arc guardians and the overseer were gathered in a large room, and stood looking into a portal. Through the gateway, they could see Shinzo Takanashi viciously devouring the remains of what used to be Alexander Anderson. Her partner, Xalir, just stood off to the side, tapping his foot impatiently while he waited for her to finish. Grimmjow cringed slightly as he watched Shinzo tear out a lung to frantically eat shortly after.

"Ugh. I've committed cannibalism before, but this chick is just…nasty. She's just taking her time, eating him up bit by bit. Hell, at this rate I'm beginning to think she's less of a soul reaper, and more of an arrancar." he said.

"She is certainly a twisted child." Marluxia concluded.

The pink haired overseer put a hand to his chin and went into deep thought._I'd expect nothing less from the offspring of Yomi and Ebony. She is powerful, yes, and frighteningly so. And it appears that the younger sister has begun to discover her dark side as well. What the old vampire said still interests me…what exactly are you, Shinzo Takanashi? What is your 'true form'? And most importantly, how can I make sure that your power falls under my rule?_ All these questions and more swarmed through Marluxia's mind. He paused for a moment and felt around inside his coat. His fingers found what they were looking for and closed around the small object. _I can think about that later. Right now I need to make sure you don't interfere with what I have in store for the multiverse._ Pulling his hand back out of his coat, he turned to his arc guardians.

"If this is only a small portion of her power, then we can safely assume that she will reach this place very soon. Not only that, but her sister and her friends have begun to discover their own gifts. We must remind them that we are now the sole rulers of their worlds." Marluxia stated.

"And how do you propose we do that?" inquired Sephiroth.

Marluxia smiled coyly. "I need you to fetch some things for me. I have a solution to our problem, but I require a few materials."

"What? You just want us to run some errands?" Grimmjow groaned.

"It's either you get what I need, or I send you back to the afterlife. Are we clear?"

"(sigh) Fine, whatever you say boss."

"Glad to see you understand. Come with me, gentlemen."

The overseer exited the room, followed by Grimmjow and Sephiroth. Sephiroth noticed Nightmare lingered behind, still staring at the portal.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

The azure knight turned an inch toward him. **"Go, I will follow shortly."**

"Very well."

Sephiroth left to join the others, pondering for a moment as to why the normally loud and arrogant knight had barely said a word. Back in the room, Nightmare stared intently at the image of Shinzo as she finished devouring Anderson. Soul Edge vibrated lightly in his grasp when the girl stood up and allowed the aura around her to grow. From under his helmet, the azure knight's lips formed a wicked smile. Laughing quietly, he turned and walked to join the others. _Interesting…so that is the source of her power. Perhaps you and I will be seeing each other very soon, Shinzo Takanashi._

* * *

Three days passed, and Marluxia was pacing back in forth in his study in frustration. During the time he had sent his arc guardians away, three more of the lower class guardians had been slain. He had watched the former guardian Notokishi renounce her allegiance and apologize for her clouded judgment. Shinzo and Xalir had moved on to another world, but had yet to encounter any guardians. Hisana and her party still resided in Windbloom, honing their skills through training. What was most troubling was that all of the guardians that died during those three days, had been defeated by unknown individuals. The people were starting to get brave, and then it would only be a matter of time until they arrived on his doorstep. Despite his confidence in his abilities, Marluxia was not so foolish to believe that he was invincible. Not yet, anyway. With a total of twelve guardians dead, his patience had grown thin. A wave of relief washed over the overseer as his three arc guardians entered his study.

"Do you have what I sent you for?" Marluxia demanded.

"Yes, we believe we've gathered some sufficient materials." Sephiroth stated.

The arc guardians laid down a massive silver zweihander, a pile of ash, and a journal. Marluxia looked over the items and picked up the journal. He flipped through a few pages to be sure it was what he wanted, and smiled devilishly when he found that it was. He had successfully recovered Vexen's research notes.

"Yes…yes…well done gentlemen, these materials will prove to be most useful." he said.

"I damn well hope so. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get all that ash?" Grimmjow complained.

"**It was also tiresome to dig through so much rubble for that blade."** Nightmare added.

"Well I can assure you, your efforts will not go to waste. With the data I can retrieve from these items, we can expect results within a short time." Marluxia noted.

* * *

Marluxia worked fast. Just two days later, he obtained results. Following the information in Vexen's journal, as well as using his own power, the overseer had successfully created two humanoid beings: a tall man with short dark hair and blue eyes, and a short blonde girl with long unruly hair and golden eyes. Both creations stared blankly in front of them. Marluxia could only smile at the results of his work. There was only one last thing he had to do to complete the beings. With a wave of his hand, a name appeared in ghostly letters in front of the man and the girl. With another wave, the letters rearranged themselves and an 'x' was added somewhere amidst the arrangement. Marluxia turned first to the tall man.

"Your name shall be…Ikxaru." he decided.

"I am…Ikxaru…" the man repeated in a low voice.

Marluxia then turned toward the girl. "And you will be called Rikxaga."

"My name is…Rikxaga…" the girl repeated in a high voice.

Marluxia smiled at the pair. "Ikxaru, Rikxaga, from this day forth you will answer only to me. Do you understand?"

"I…understand…" said Ikxaru.

"Rikxaga…understands…" said Rikxaga.

Marluxia couldn't help but feel proud of his success. He put a hand on both of his creation's shoulders. "I'm expecting great things from both of you." he chuckled. "Yes, I believe that you will serve me well."

Another five days passed, and two more guardians fell. The pair of Tsuyo-sa Irino and Yasha had departed Windbloom after he withdrew his troops from Earl, and were currently searching all over the city of New Mombasa for the third guardian of that world. Now there were fourteen dead in total. The sudden loss caused Marluxia to accelerate the development of his creation's combat capabilities. The overseer was worried that pushing the pair so hard so early would hinder his plans, but to his astonishment and wicked joy the pair quickly adapted and completed their training. They even developed personalities of their own. Ikxaru had grown a strong desire for combat, and Rikxaga became cold and indifferent towards just about everyone around her, save for Ikxaru, who seemed to be the only one she got along with. Satisfied with the progress of his creations, Marluxia decided it was time to truly put their skills to the test.

"Oi, superior, what's up?" said Ikxaru as he entered the observation room.

"Is there something you need, superior?" said Rikxaga, following behind him.

The two wore the same black cloak as Marluxia, who turned towards them. "Ah, you're here. Yes, there is a very important task I need you to undertake."

"A task? Does that mean..." Ikxaru began.

"You're finally sending us on a real mission?" Rikxaga finished.

Marluxia nodded. "Yes, the time has come for you to show me how much you've progressed. There are some individuals who have become thorns in my side, and they must be dealt with. I cannot leave this place for certain reasons, and I do not wish to risk the arc guardians just yet, so I can only entrust this task to you."

The pair looked at each other with excitement.

"Alright! It's about time I got to see some action!" Ikxaru put his fist into his palm.

"If that is what superior wishes, then Rikxaga will do her best." Rikxaga brushed her hair out of her eyes.

Marluxia smiled. "Glad to see you're excited. Now listen closely, this is who you must eliminate..."

* * *

**Amestris, Central City, sometime later...**

* * *

"And you're sure there's no guardians here?" said a short blonde boy with a mechanical arm and leg.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure that if there were such powerful enemies here, I would've detected them." answered a tall man with pale blue skin littered with pebbles.

The boy let out a defeated sigh. "Ah well, it didn't hurt to ask. Still, I never thought I'd see you again, Zelgadis."

"Likewise, Edward. I just thought I'd stop by this world and check up on that alchemy you showed me last time."

"That was like, five years ago! I hate to break it to you, but I don't exactly have my alchemy anymore."

"Really? What happened?"

Ed put his fingers to his forehead and groaned. "It's complicated..."

"I see..."

"Hey Zel, are you done yet?" shouted a young woman with long and wild red hair. She stood next to a tall blonde man who was currently eating a drumstick.

The chimera turned toward the woman. "Yes Lina, I'm just about finished. Tell Gourry to slow down or he'll choke."

"Huh? Hey! Gourry, that was my chicken!"

The woman and the blonde started fighting over the food. Zelgadis sighed as he and Ed watched from afar.

"Remind me again why I work with you people..."

Just then, there was a loud crash as something struck the ground between the chimera and his friends. A tall man with dark hair and blue eyes wearing a black cloak rose up from the crater formed by the crash. Zelgadis, Lina, and Gourry all readied themselves for combat. Ikxaru looked back and forth between the groups on either side of him and smirked.

"So you're the ones getting on the superior's bad side, huh? Okay then..." he pulled back his sleeves, revealing shining silver gauntlets over his hands. "Show me what you've got!"

Without warning or explanation, Ikxaru immediately sprang in the air toward Zelgadis. The chimera kept a tight grip on his sword and swung upwards as the cloaked man threw a punch his way. Ikxaru's gauntlet connected with the sword, and Zelgadis found himself struggling to hold the blow back. He quickly glanced back at Ed.

"Run!" he commanded through grit teeth.

Despite his desire to help, Ed knew that he wouldn't be any good in a fight like this. Reluctantly, he nodded and ran to safety. As soon as Ed was out of sight, Zelgadis's sword shattered to pieces, no longer able to withstand the force of his opponent's punch. Ikxaru's fist slammed into the chimera's face with an audible crunch, something that normally should not have happened considering the chimera's rock like skin. As Zelgadis fell backward from the blow, Ikxaru spun around and kicked him through the window of a nearby shop.

"Zel!" Lina called from where she stood.

Ikxaru turned to face her and Gourry with a crazed smile. Gritting his teeth, Gourry ejected the blade of his sword and ran at the cloaked man.

"You bastard! You'll pay for hurting Zelgadis!" the swordsman held out his hilt as he ran. "Light come forth!"

At his command, a blade of pure light extended from the hilt of Gourry's sword. Ikxaru quirked an eyebrow in interest as the blonde swordsman leapt at him, sword ready. The cloaked man made no attempt to dodge as Gourry swung down at him. To his surprise, Ikxaru caught the light blade in his hand. Gourry stared at the man in disbelief.

"No way..." he muttered.

"He caught it?!" Lina exclaimed.

Ikxaru's smile only widened. "Yeah, I caught it."

Before Gourry could make another move, Ikxaru rammed his knee into his gut. Gourry coughed up a short spout of blood from the blow. As he began to collapse, Ikxaru grabbed him by the head, lifted him so that they were eye level, and gave him a powerful right hook that catapulted the swordsman toward Lina. Gourry unconsciously skidded to a halt at the sorceress's feet. Lina stared in shock at her injured friend, then glared furiously at Ikxaru.

"How dare you!" she stuck out her arm toward the cloaked man. "Fireball!"

An orb of flame shot out from her outstretched hand toward Ikxaru. The cloaked man merely smirked and swatted the spell aside with a wave of his hand, causing it to explode as it came in contact with a building. Lina froze in disbelief for a moment, then her glare returned and she drew her arms back.

"Flare Arrow!" she commanded.

A pair of large arrows made completely of fire formed in her hands, and she threw them like javelins at her opponent. Ikxaru crouched down, then swung his foot in an arch as the arrows neared him, deflecting the projectiles and sending them flying off course. During his deflection, Lina noticed that the cloaked man had silver greaves that matched his gauntlets underneath his cloak. Ikxaru resumed standing posture and smiled devilishly at Lina.

"Is that all you've got?" he taunted.

Lina trembled with rage. Not only had this man singlehandedly bested her allies in mere seconds, but he also could defend against her spells as though they were nothing. She glanced around her. The area was too populated to fire a dragonslave, and she dared not tempt fate with the giga slave. Which meant she only had one spell left that might work against this strange foe. She quickly chanted the incantation (A/N: I forgot the words. It's been awhile since I last watched Slayers :p), and held out her hands.

"Ragna Blade!" she said as she finished the incantation.

A massive sword made of crackling dark energy formed in her hands. Knowing that she only had a few seconds to keep it stable, Lina firmly grasped the Ragna Blade and charged toward Ikxaru with the tip pointed at him. With a yell, Lina thrust the sword forward. Ikxaru held out his palms to meet the sword. Upon coming in contact with the cloaked man's hands, the sword began to dissipate and shatter. Lina could only watch in disbelief as the mighty sword of chaos magic disappeared, and Ikxaru pulled back his fist in preparation. He smirked fiendishly at her as his fist thrust forward.

"All too easy."

_CRACK!_

* * *

**New Mombasa, at the same time...**

* * *

Tsuyo-sa braced herself as she burst through the glass of a thirtieth floor window. A gargantuan stream of electric yellow energy surged past her, blowing apart the building she had just been in. The short brunette summoned her large gauntlets as she neared the adjacent building. She thrust her fists forward just as she was about to hit the concrete wall, making a hole large enough for her to roll through and land safely inside. Quickly putting her weapons away again, Tsuyo-sa took off past the abandoned desks and offices as a gigantic metal hand with clawed fingers burst through the building towards her. The hand recoiled when it felt nothing within its grasp. Tsuyo-sa found an exit leading to the roof, and quickly ascended the building. Once outside on the roof, she frantically ran toward the edge of the building. An earsplitting mechanical roar came from close behind her, knocking the girl off her feet. Tsuyo-sa spun around to look at the source of the roar. A gargantuan bipedal reptilian robot, with glowing yellow eyes, three rows of large spines on its back, and a tail standing at least ten stories high stood towering over her on the opposite side of the roof. The robot opened its mouth, revealing a large laser cannon. As the weapon began to charge, Tsuyo-sa quickly rose to her feet and bolted straight toward the edge of the building. The robot's laser finished charging, and a huge beam of deadly yellow energy shot towards the small girl. Tsuyo-sa jumped off the edge of the building just as the beam sailed over her head. Unfortunately, the next nearest building was a very long way down, long enough to the point where it was questionable whether or not her healing abilities could save her from dying on impact. The pavement began to enter her field of view, and she closed her eyes and braced herself for the end. Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms around her, and the next thing she knew she was on something solid. Tsuyo-sa opened her eyes to see Yasha holding onto her, and the interior of an Elite phantom around them.

"That was reckless, even for you." Yasha said sternly.

Tsuyo-sa pouted. "Hey! It's not my fault the last guardian turned out to be a giant mechanical lizard with lasers and stuff!"

Yasha sighed and smiled at the girl. "No, I suppose not." the demigod turned toward the Elite clad in white who stood nearby. "Thanks for your help."

"You can thank me once we have defeated the guardian." the Elite growled. Half of his mandibles were missing.

"How are the ground forces down below doing?" asked Tsuyo-sa as she stood.

"Not well. The last time I checked in with them they had yet to pierce the beast's armor. It appears that whoever created this metal monstrosity was determined to make it resistant to nearly all kinds of damage, especially heat. Not even our plasma weapons can break through."

"It must have some weakness, we just need to find it." Yasha muttered. An idea suddenly crossed his mind. He turned toward the front of the dropship. "Pilot, can you take us around the monster's head?"

"I can try, but it will not be easy. I suggest you grab hold of something." the pilot responded.

The phantom was forced to bank sideways as the robot swung at them with its claws. The pilot managed to take them around to the back of the monster. Suddenly, the spike tips of the robot's spines shot skyward, revealing themselves to be rockets. The rockets locked onto the alien dropship, forcing the pilot to maneuver every this way and that to avoid being shot down. The dropship sailed past the side of the robot monster's head. From where he stood, Yasha got a clear look at what appeared to be a circular door built into the robot's ear. Before he could act on it though, the pilot quickly dove their phantom downwards as another homing rocket came at them.

"I think I know how we can beat it now!" Yasha said over the roar of the rockets.

"How?" Tsuyo-sa and the white Elite asked.

"It appears to have an entrance in its ear, most likely to accommodate for a crew."

"Okay, so how do we reach it?"

"That's the problem. It's too far away for me to jump, even if I teleport. Unless..."

"Unless?"

Yasha looked at Tsuyo-sa. "I have an idea, but you may not like it."

Yasha was right. Tsuyo-sa did not like his plan one bit. It involved him throwing her at the robot's head while in midair. But the only suitable position for her to be beforehand placed her directly on top of his head.

"If you look up, I will kill you." the short girl said through clenched teeth, cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Relax, I'm not like that." Yasha grumbled. Although it was hard to see with the girl's skirt flitting around in front of his face.

"Get ready!" the pilot called as he made another pass.

The ear entrance came into view.

"Now!" the white Elite ordered.

Yasha leapt from the phantom, waiting until he had begun to descend to throw Tsuyo-sa at the robot's head. The short girl summoned her gauntlet and latched onto the door. Worriedly, she looked back to where Yasha had been. The demigod had managed to grab onto one of the robot's shoulder spikes, He was safe. Breathing a sigh of relief, Tsuyo-sa tore off the door, put away her gauntlet, and climbed up the narrow access tunnel. Upon reaching the control room, she saw the word 'Kiryu' printed above the main computers.

"Tsuyo-sa, do you see anything?" came Yasha's voice through her recently acquired communicator.

"Yeah, I'm in a big room with lots of buttons and panels." she answered.

"Do any of them tell you how to shut down the monster?"

"Uhhhhh..."

There were so many instruments, that it was impossible to tell exactly what did what. She heard Yasha sigh through her communicator.

"If you can't figure it out, then I suppose you could just smash it."

"Yeah, let's go with that."

Tsuyo-sa summoned her weapons, and a few minutes of ruthless pounding later, the control center was in shambles. The robot came to a sudden halt, and Tsuyo-sa was flung off balance. Regaining her footing, the short girl noticed that one of the few surviving panels indicated that the monster was offline. With a sigh of relief, Tsuyo-sa made her way outside to find Yasha waiting for her inside a phantom. The demigod smiled and held out his hand to her.

"Good work, partner." he said warmly.

Tsuyo-sa smiled and joined him aboard the dropship. The pair had now freed this world of Marluxia's rule, and watched as his legions were quickly sucked up into the dark sphere in the sky. Soon enough they touched down back on solid ground. The pair and the white Elite walked off the phantom to greet the ground forces, and gasped in shock at what they saw. Everywhere they looked, dozens of Elite warriors of varying ranks lay dead. Some were slashed to bits, others were crushed or pummeled.

"By the gods...what could have done this?" demanded the white Elite.

He got his answer when the tip of a gold and black sword stuck through his chest. Dark violet blood leaked from the wound and his mouth as the Elite collapsed to the ground in a lifeless pile. Standing behind him was a short figure whose features were hidden by a black cloak and hood. Tsuyo-sa was the first to act. She summoned her gauntlets and ran straight at the figure. As she swung with her large fists, the figure summoned a large golden shield to their other arm and blocked the blows. The recoil sent Tsuyo-sa staggering back in surprise. Yasha attempted to strike the figure from behind with a well placed kick, but the attack missed when the figure side stepped out of the way and took a slash at him with its sword. The blade cut across the tall demigod's chest, and he jumped back to Tsuyo-sa's side gripping the injury.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

The figure made no reply. They dematerialized their weapons, then reached back and pulled down their hood. A long and wild blonde mane fell down the figure's back to their waist. The figure then looked at the pair before her with golden eyes and smiled.

"If you live to see me again, perhaps I'll tell you." she said. "But for now, my work here is done."

Before the conversation could continue, Rikxaga disappeared in a small vortex of darkness. Marluxia would surely be pleased.

* * *

**27 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys. Sorry that this one is a little shorter than the others, I was really tired when I typed this and wasn't entirely sure what to do with the chapter. To all you godzilla fans out there: Yes, they just did battle with Kiryu (aka Mechagodzilla). As always, I ask you to continue reading and be sure to review! I'm always willing to hear what others have to say, be it good or bad. (but not too bad though, please) Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Into the Dark**

* * *

**Windbloom, at the same time…**

* * *

**Hisana's Group**

* * *

_CLANG!_

Hisana's naginata and Axel's chakrams clashed for what felt like the millionth time during their week of training. While Tsuyo-sa and Yasha had left to fight guardians, the trio had decided to get a bit of practice in before continuing on their journey. After apologizing for letting herself be controlled by her anger, former princess Notokishi, now under the disguised name of Rao Lin Cho, decided that the best course of action for her was to help train the young warriors. But after a few days, she had taught them everything she could, and so she too traveled through the portal to fight the other guardians. Hisana, Axel, and Evelyn had met a few days afterward, and reached the decision that it was now time for them to rejoin their friends in the battle against Marluxia. Which brings to where we are now, with the ice user and the pyro engaging in one last sparring match before heading out. Axel threw a chakram at Hisana vertically, pillars of fire rising in a trail behind it as it flew. Hisana deflected the projectile and ran for the redhead with her blade pointed forward. Axel quickly caught his chakram and held it ready as the small girl leapt at him. Hisana's zanpakutou slammed down on Axel's weapons with great force causing the tall man to stagger for a moment. But it was short lived, and Axel quickly caught his ground and counterattacked with an upward swing. Hisana leaned back out of the spiked wheel's path, then spun around under a second strike and rammed the pommel of her spear into Axel's unguarded gut. The redhead cringed and jumped back to catch his breath. The pyro then smirked and a wall of flame sprouted in a large circle around the fighters. Hisana's naginata began to radiate a pure white glow in response. She aimed her weapon straight at Axel.

"Tengoku tsume mai!" (heavenly talon dance) she yelled.

Hisana began to swing her blade in several elegant arcs, almost as though she were dancing with her weapon. A light of unknown origin mirrored the flow of her weapon's movements, striking down at Axel each time she moved. The pyro soon found himself overwhelmed by the force of the light's blows, and fell down on one knee. Seeing him go down, Hisana readied her weapon again and charged. Just as she was about to deliver a winning blow, Axel suddenly sprang to his feet and flung his chakrams in a fiery circle around him. The surprise attack caught Hisana completely off guard, and she was thrown to the ground by the force of the attack. Axel smiled victoriously at her and caught his weapons with ease.

"You had enough?" he asked mockingly.

Hisana smirked and sprang to her feet. "Please, I'm just getting warmed up!"

Both fighters sprang toward each other and began to rapidly exchange blows. Somewhere in the midst of an attack, Hisana found an opening and thrust her blade at Axel's shoulder. The redhead leaned to the side to dodge, but the attack still scraped across his shoulder and drew blood. For a moment, time seemed to slow down as Hisana watched the cut on the man's shoulder begin to redden with blood. Without realizing it, her eyes started to turn violet, and she tackled Axel to the ground with suddenly superhuman strength. The tall man saw the strange look in his partner's eyes as she leaned her head toward his injury.

"Hey, Hisana! Snap out of it!" he yelled.

Hisana stopped abruptly at hearing his voice, and her eyes went back to sapphire. She stared confusedly at Axel.

"What happened? How did I get you like this?" she asked.

"You just tackled me out of nowhere. Y'know, if you wanted to get to know me like this, you could've just asked." he said with a smirk.

Hisana gave him another puzzled look, then a bright blush spread across her face as she realized how the two of them looked in this position. She quickly stood up and got off him.

"S-sorry." she stuttered shyly.

"Don't worry about it." he got up.

"It's weird though, I don't remember tackling you to the ground at any point during our sparring session."

Axel just shrugged his shoulders. "You must've gotten caught up in the heat of the moment."

"Yeah, probably."

It was a lie. Axel had become increasingly suspicious of Hisana ever since the fight with Shizuru. As they had practiced, the normally kind and generous girl seemed to slip into a bizarre state of incredible hunger the instant she saw blood. Her eyes would become purple, and she'd immediately try to get at wherever the blood was coming from. The other strange part was that when she calmed down and her eyes returned to their normal sapphire blue, she wouldn't remember anything that transpired while she was in her hungered state. Evelyn had noticed as well, and the two of them agreed not to say anything about it to Hisana until they were sure of what the problem was. However, Axel couldn't help but assume from the nervous tone in Evelyn's voice when they talked about Hisana's "condition" that she knew something, and wasn't willing to share it with him. No matter, he'd figure it out sooner or later. He always did. With that thought in mind, Axel decided it was time to call it a day. The pair put away their weapons and returned to Fuka Palace to rest up. Tomorrow they would leave through the portal. Just as Axel was making his way to his room, Evelyn approached him.

"Hey, come with me for a bit. Mrs. Irino wants to talk with us." said the tan woman.

"What about?"

"Hisana."

"I see…"

The two nodded in understanding and made their way to the recently added foreign ambassador's quarters, where Saya and Tsuyo-sa lived. A few minutes later, they were inside the otherworlder's room, waiting for the pale woman to begin. Saya wore a sad expression on her face as she took a seat on the edge of her bed. With a heavy sigh, she rested her luminescent red eyes on her guests.

"Thank you for coming." she began. "I'm sorry for disturbing you when you should be sleeping, but if you're going to continue traveling with Hisana there's something important that you must know."

"Does it have to do with her…you know, 'condition'?" asked Axel.

Saya nodded. "It does. You may have already guessed this, but Hisana, just like Yomi and her sister, is a vampire."

Axel was only moderately surprised. Evelyn just nodded, she had known all along.

"I thought so." Axel said, reclining in his chair.

"I don't expect you to be that surprised, given her heritage it would only be natural. However, there's something odd about it. Hisana has had vampirism all her life, but never has it shown itself in broad daylight. She's seen blood before, so I wonder why she's suddenly very hungry for it?"

"Probably because she hasn't had any since she was born. She's been deprived of it for three years, so it would only make sense if her senses become more sensitive to blood." Evelyn said matter-of-factly.

Saya nodded. Axel took in the information, then leaned forward.

"You said earlier that her vampirism never showed up in daylight. Does that mean it comes out even more at night?" he asked.

Saya paused for a moment, then took a deep breath. "It's complicated. When Hisana and Shinzo were born, they both had snow-white hair, ghostly pale skin, and red/violet eyes. They're identical twins. Sadly, both girls had inherited the darker aspects of both of their parents, Yomi's vampirism and Ebony's other-self, Ivory. Around this time, an ancient vampire called Alucard appeared before me and my friends. He was the one who had turned Yomi into a vampire, and was thus the source of the children's vampiric heritage. Alucard said that if the twins were allowed to grow and develop their powers, they would bring forth calamity. I was outraged, and Yomi was furious. Ebony clung tightly to her daughters, and said that she didn't care what he thought of her children or how they looked, she wasn't going to let anybody take them away from her."

Saya paused and let out a small laugh.

"The way that small girl stood up for herself always impresses me. Anyway, Yomi threatened to kill Alucard if he tried to go anywhere near the twins. Alucard just laughed at her and went on his way, telling her not to regret her decision. That awful man's words still troubled us, so Ebony and Yomi devised a plan. They put a charm on the girls, and made them look more normal. However, it was an incomplete charm, and the effects partially wore off at night. Whenever the sun went down, the twins eyes would revert to their original color…"

"Wait, you mean when Hisana's eyes turn violet, they're-" Axel began.

Saya nodded. "Her eyes are naturally that color. Hisana's vampiric blood is weaker though, which is why they only turn violet instead of pure red like Shinzo's. After the charm was in place, Ebony and Yomi moved to Karakura Town, where they planned to try and raise their daughters to be as normal as possible, and turn any powers that might surface toward more peacekeeping purposes."

_Well, at least they succeeded with one of them…_ Evelyn thought to herself.

"From what I've seen with Hisana, their efforts have succeeded for a time. But without her parent's guidance, I fear I am uncertain of what will become of her now. She's such a sweet girl...it would be awful if she ever became as cruel as that Alucard person. And who knows what's become of Shinzo..."

Evelyn tensed for a moment, then relaxed. "The last time I saw her, Shinzo was still unaware of her vampirism. But if Hisana has become like this, and considering that Shinzo's vampiric blood is much stronger, it's only a matter of time before she figures it out."

The others nodded in agreement.

"I would ask that you keep this information from Hisana for as long as possible, until you can figure out a way to suppress her urges." Saya finished.

Axel and Evelyn agreed, and made to leave. Saya stopped Evelyn at the door once Axel was out of earshot.

"There's something important I need to ask you." Saya whispered.

"What is it?"

"That man, Alucard, he talked about Shinzo growing up and bedding Hisana, and that if such a thing were to happen, then the multiverse would be doomed. I still think its nonsense to even believe that, but I can't help but wonder. You've been with those girls most of your life, so have you noticed anything...'strange', going on between them?"

Evelyn paused, then shook her head. "No, nothing. I'm not sure about Shinzo, but I know for a fact that Hisana is straight. I highly doubt a relationship like that will ever happen."

Saya breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Alright, you can go now."

Evelyn wished the older woman goodnight before heading off to her room. It's a good thing Saya hadn't pressed her any further, for she was well aware that if the horned woman really wanted to, she could've gotten the truth out of her using her old 'counseling' methods. The next day, Hisana, Axel, and Evelyn said goodbye to King Siegfried and Queen Kaia before entering the next portal.

* * *

**The other side of the portal...**

* * *

The trio came out standing on a rocky cliff-face covered in lush greenery. A waterfall ran to their right, traveling down a great mountain. The trio stepped toward the edge of the cliff and looked out at the new world. Below them was an enormous landscape, bordered on all sides by tall mountains. Rivers ran for miles on end, trees covered half the land whereas deep snow covered the rest. In the distance, they could make out settlements and castles of varying sizes. And in the center of the land, rising higher than the clouds themselves, sat the biggest mountain that any of them had ever seen.

"I don't know where we are..." Hisana began. "But it sure is beautiful."

"Yeah...nothing like the deserts on Earl or the urban draw of Karakura Town." Evelyn added.

"While I will admit that it's quite the view, perhaps we had best figure out where in the hell we are?" Axel stated.

The others nodded, and the trio began to descend the mountain. Sometime later as they were walking through the dense forest at the base of the cliff, a deep and loud roar came from overhead. The trio instantly drew their weapons as a large shadow passed over them.

"What was that?" Evelyn asked.

"Not sure, but it can't be good." Axel said.

Just then, the roar came again, except this time louder. Whatever the source of the roaring was, it was getting close. Within moments, an angry mass of scales and wings came crashing down in front of the group. As the dust settled, the group stood face to face with a large dragon covered in shining bronze scales. The dragon opened its jaws wide at the group.

"FO...!" it bellowed in what almost sounded like a voice.

A torrent of bone chilling frost burst from the dragon's mouth at its prey. Axel called up a wall of flame to repel the blast. As the frost melted into steam, the dragon thrust its head forward, jaws open wide to swallow the tall man. It never got the chance, as it suddenly felt the tip of Hisana's naginata stick into its unarmored underbelly. The beast let out a roar of pain and staggered back. It sent forth a mighty gust of wind with its wings as it took flight. The dragon didn't get far, as it soon felt something metallic snake around its tail before it was swung against its will into the trees. The dragon slowly began to rise, belching out a blast of frost as it did so. It didn't notice Evelyn sneaking behind it until her hooks had caught onto its wings, and she had the dragon standing upright on his legs.

"Now!" she yelled as she held the beast in place.

Hisana and Axel took full advantage of the opportunity and threw their weapons at the dragon. The beast roared in agony as it felt the blades pierce its hide. With a final deep groan of pain, the dragon went limp. Evelyn released the dead monster, and it collapsed to the ground. The group all gathered around and stared at the beast.

"Well that was...odd." Axel noted.

"Yeah, since when does a dragon just show up out of nowhere?" Hisana stated.

Just then, about half a dozen roars came from overhead. The group took the sound as a sign to leave, and ran through the woods. Soon, they found themselves in a snowy clearing. Before they could go any further, a green and brown dragon landed in front of them. They began to slowly back up, when suddenly a red and a white dragon landed behind them. A bronze and a gray dragon then descended on either side of the group. They were completely surrounded. The dragons growled and snapped at the group, anxious to learn what the taste of these strange wanderers. The group packed tightly together, so that each person was facing a pair of dragons. They knew that with this many, there was a good chance that one or all of them would be slaughtered. Just then, an angry cry sounded through the woods. A man clad in iron armor, holding a steel broadsword in one hand and a dagger in the other, charged from out of the brush toward the fray.

"Fus ro dah!" the man shouted.

A powerful blast of wind burst from his mouth, causing the dragons to stagger for a moment. He leapt onto the back of one of the dragons, causing the others to turn his way in interest. The group used the distraction to strike at the dragons, and soon ice, fire, and blood was flung across the clearing. When it was over, the six dragons lay dead, and the group of unlikely comrades fell to their knees in exhaustion. All of them, including the strange man in armor, had survived.

"Thanks, we were in quite a bind back there." Hisana said.

The man nodded. "The three of you are very brave to face that many dragons on your own. You have my respect."

"Thanks. By the way, who are you? And where exactly are we?" asked Evelyn.

The man's smirk was visible from under his helmet. "I had you figured for foreigners. You are in the province of Skyrim, home to my people, the Nords. As for who I am..."

Suddenly, the bodies of the recently slain dragons began to burn away, and the light from their flames traveled over to the man. After a few moments, the lights vanished within the man.

"I am the Dovahkiin." (dragonborn!)

* * *

Sometime later, the Dovahkiin and the travelers arrived at the city of Whiterun. There the guards questioned the odd looking group, but let them pass once the Dovahkiin informed them that they were his allies and had helped him slay several dragons. Exhausted from the combined strain of the battle with the dragons and the long walk to Whiterun, the group decided retired at the local Bannered Mare inn. The Dovahkiin payed for their rooms, and the four of them sat around the hearth to talk.

"So, what brings the three of you to Skyrim?" asked the Dovahkiin.

"We're here to defeat the guardians overseeing your world, so that we can free it from Marluxia's grasp." Evelyn explained.

"Ah, that would explain the sudden appearance of those strange foreigners."

"Wait, you mean we're not the only people from another world to come here?" asked Hisana.

The Dovahkiin nodded. "I've only seen two of them, and both wore a long black cloak, just like yours." he gestured toward Axel.

The redhead leaned forward in interest. "Did you see their faces? Could you see any weapons they might have had?"

"Aye, one was tall and lanky, and the other short and thin. The taller one looked like a woman with short blonde hair and green eyes. The shorter one had their hood up, I didn't see their face."

Axel groaned. "Aw man, not her again..."

"Do you know who he's talking about, Axel?" inquired Hisana.

"Unfortunately, yes. Her name is Larxene, and she's gotta be the biggest bitch I've ever met in my life. The chick's a sadist, I tell you."

"What about the shorter one? Any clue on who that is?"

Surprisingly, a warm smile spread across the pyro's face. "Well, I have an idea, but it would be too good to be true. And besides..." his smile wavered. "If it is them, then that means we'd have to fight...and I'd have to watch them go away again..."

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Hisana staring up at him sympathetically. Her eyes were violet, but he knew it was only due to the time of day. Luckily, the Dovahkiin must have just assumed her change in eye color was a reflection of the fire around them.

"Don't worry Axel, if it's someone you care about then we'll try to do our best to make them see reason." Hisana said with a smile.

Axel returned the smile. "Thanks."

The Dovahkiin smiled at the pair and rose to his feet. "Well, since it seems that the three of you have come to help the people of Skyrim, then I shall join you. Let's get some rest, we've got a long walk ahead of us tomorrow."

The group all yawned in agreement and got up to go to bed. On the way to the guest rooms, however, they realized something was odd. The Dovahkiin had only rented three rooms. Confused, Hisana brought up the question with the proud Nord.

"Is there a problem? I thought you and the tall man were together?" he answered nonchalantly.

Hisana's cheeks reddened. "W-why would you think that?"

"You were walking side by side the whole way here. Plus, I saw that look you gave when you comforted him." the Nord smirked.

Hisana's cheeks reddened even more. "We're just friends. I've known the guy for little more than a week."

The Dovahkiin just shrugged. "Oh well, suit yourself. Either way, someone's sharing a room." with that, the Nord retired for the night.

Hisana sighed heavily, then went to discuss the arrangements with her companions.

"Why not? It's only for the night." Evelyn stated.

"Or, (gasp) do you not trust me?" Axel said as he feigned depression.

Hisana just sighed. "Alright, fine. Let's just go to bed."

With the problem settled, Axel and Hisana went off to one room, while Evelyn went to another. The tan woman watched her friend and their ally enter their room together, and felt a pang of guilt. She wanted Hisana to be happy, but she couldn't help but feel as though she was betraying Shinzo. If they did anything, and the older twin found out...she shook her head at the idea. _No, I don't even want to think about what would happen._ Putting that thought aside, Evelyn retired for the night.

Next door, the other members of the group were having a hard time getting to sleep. It certainly didn't help that there was only _one_ bed in the room. Axel offered to sleep on the floor, to which Hisana had agreed after a few hesitant moments. The tall man was currently laying down on a bearskin rug with a pillow beneath his head, staring up at the ceiling. He smiled as he heard Hisana rustling uneasily on the bed nearby.

"Can't sleep?" he said softly.

"...yeah." she replied after awhile. "You?"

Axel chuckled. "Same. Never really had much time for sleep."

"Oh..."

It was quiet for a moment, then Hisana spoke again.

"Axel, that other person the Dovahkiin mentioned..."

"Yeah?"

"Are they...special to you?"

The pyro paused at the question, then smiled softly. "Yeah...they are..."

"Is it alright, if you tell me their name?"

"...I suppose. His name is Roxas."

"His? Oh! So you're-"

Axel turned toward the door. "Yeah...guess so...is that a problem?"

"Oh, not at all! It would be kinda hypocritical if I thought that way, considering my parents were that way as well."

"Heh, yeah I guess it would be."

They both laughed. Hisana sat up and looked over at Axel. She saw him staring up dreamily at the ceiling.

"Axel?"

He turned toward her. "Yes?"

"I'm glad you decided to help us. You're a good friend, and if that person does turn out to be Roxas, then I'm sure you can work something out."

The redhead paused. He found himself surprisingly captivated by the glow of the girl's eyes and smile. "Y-Yeah...I think so too."

Hisana nodded. "Good." an unintentional yawn escaped her lips. "Alright, I think I can sleep now. Goodnight, Axel."

He watched her lie back down, then turned toward the ceiling again. Despite the odd feeling in his chest, he found himself surprisingly at ease. He closed his eyes to sleep.

"Goodnight, Hisana."

* * *

The next day, the trio and the Dovahkiin headed on their way toward the notorious city of Riften, where he had last seen the cloaked figures. At some point they found themselves on a slow climb over the icy mount terrain that surrounded what used to be the town of Helgen. Eventually they made it over the mountains and were just over halfway to Riften. However, just as they were nearing the edge of the snowy terrain, a large blast of fire suddenly descended from somewhere up above. The four warriors split apart as the fireball exploded on their previous position. They instantly drew their weapons as a figure clothed in a black cloak began to walk towards them with a staff bearing a green gem on its tip in one hand. The figure rose its head, revealing the face of an elderly man with white hair.

"Greetings, fools. At last I have found you." said the old man.

"Who are you?" demanded the Dovahkiin.

"I am Jagar Tharn, the first guardian of this world."

"Wow, you're just gonna come out and say it? Usually we have to figure it out ourselves." said Evelyn.

"I see no reason for me to hide it, seeing as how you'll all be dead very soon!"

Jagar rose into the air, and a sphere of dark magic formed in his hand. The sphere turned into three purple lights, that then formed three elemental atronochs, one fire, one ice, and one thunder. The group split up to attack the creatures. Axel took on the ice atronoch, the Dovahkiin took on the fire, Evelyn fought with the thunder, and Hisana was left to deal with Jagar. The ancient battlemage laughed maniacally before sending a barrage of fire, frost, and thunder magic at his opponent. Hisana struggled for a moment under his barrage, but quickly found a pattern in his attacks and weaved between the spells. Jagar bit his lip in frustration as the spear user drew close. Concentrating dark magic, he summoned a sword of pure magic to his open hand and descended to take on the girl. Hisana charged toward the battlemage, and began to slice and cut endlessly as she dodged and parried his attacks, after receiving more than a few slashes on his chest and arms, the battlemage discarded his magic sword and levitated back into the air.

"You are skilled, young one, but you cannot touch me n-"

_SCHINK!_

Jagar's eyes widened in shock as his brain registered the immense pain he now felt in his gut. Cringing, he looked down to see Hisana with her blade driven through him, held aloft by a pair of pure white angelic wings. The girl looked up at his bleeding injury with violet eyes that shone with hunger. Before Jagar could try to fight back, the girl gripped him by the throat and sent them both falling down to the ground. The large blood loss, coupled with the wound in his chest and the impact of the crash, took what little life remained from Jagar. The battlemage's eyes rolled back as he breathed his last. Upon his death, the atronochs he had summoned disappeared. The group looked about in confusion for a moment before their eyes settled on Hisana. Her wings had disappeared, and she was hunched over the dead guardian. Axel smiled and walked over to her.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Nice job, Hisana! Looks like he wasn't so tough after-" he looked over her shoulder and froze.

A chunk of Jagar's chest had been bitten off. Slowly, Hisana turned around to face him. Her eyes were violet, and her lips were stained with blood. Axel stood unmoving, shocked and unsure of how to react. Hisana saw his worried look and the hunger in her eyes vanished. However, they still retained their violet hue. Hisana slowly brought her fingers to her lips, and began to tremble when she saw the blood on her hands.

"Axel..." she whispered.

"Hisana, what's-oh no..." Evelyn said as she also noticed the state of her friend.

The Dovahkiin walked over to the group with anger burning in his eyes. He glared down at the blood covered girl who sat shaking with fear.

"You...you're a vampire, aren't you?" said the Nord.

Hisana slowly met his gaze, then turned away. "I thought I wasn't...but...it looks like I was wrong..."

"I see. So you were unaware of this. But nevertheless, you are still a vampire."

Axel and Evelyn put their weapons between the Nord and Hisana.

"So what if she is? If you try to harm her..." Axel growled.

"Lay down your weapons, I have no intention of harming her."

The others gave him a confused look.

"What? But you sounded like-" Evelyn began.

"I know how I sounded, and I can understand your concern. If I were anyone else, I probably would have tried to kill her here and now. But luckily for the three of you, I have compassion in my heart. And although I may not know this girl as well as you, I can plainly see that she is not a cold blooded murderer."

The others stared at the Nord with newfound respect. The Dovahkiin sighed and his gaze softened.

"At the least, this just means our journey will be more difficult. I will keep my promise to help defeat the other guardians, but I will not be held responsible for anything that happens to her. Is that clear?"

The others nodded.

"Fair enough." Axel said.

"Good." the Dovahkiin turned back to Hisana. "There's a waterfall nearby. Clean yourself up, then we'll be on our way."

* * *

Hisana stared mournfully at her feet as she stood bare beneath the flowing water. Axel stood around the corner, out of sight and keeping an eye out for danger. Or perverts. Hisana slowly went about washing herself, taking extra care with her hands and face to make sure all of the blood washed off. After a few minutes, she had finished cleansing herself and wrapped a towel around her body before sitting on a nearby rock to dry.

"Did you know?" she asked. She knew Axel heard her, because she could her his low sigh as he prepared to speak.

"Yes. But I only recently learned of it." he replied.

"...Evelyn?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say she's known all along."

"Yeah...that sounds about right."

An awkward silence fell over them at that. Wanting to break the tension, Axel cleared his throat.

"So, are you surprised?" he asked.

"...Not entirely. My 'father' was a vampire, so it's only natural. I was always told that I wasn't like her, that I was more 'normal' than either of my parents. But...I still knew there was a good chance that I was a vampire too."

"Makes sense."

Another pause.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked.

"A little. I'm mainly just frustrated that you guys didn't tell me. I'm going to have a long chat with Evelyn later..."

"Heh, I'll bet she's looking forward to that."

"She better be."

It's silent again as she gets dressed. Hisana looked at her reflection in the water again. Her eyes were still violet. No, remembering what her 'father' told her, now that she'd fed they would remain violet for the rest of her life. With a heavy sigh, Hisana picked up her things and walked over to Axel. The tall redhead stepped to her side as they began walking to where Evelyn and the Dovahkiin were waiting.

"I like your eyes, by the way."

Hisana looked up at him in surprise. "You do?"

Axel nodded. "I think violet suits you better than blue." he smirked as he saw her blush.

"Thank you." she whispered.

Neither of them noticed the eyes watching from above on a nearby cliff. Two hooded figures stood observing the pyro and the vampiress as they walked. The taller of the two figures let out a sarcastic laugh.

"So you think these people will just welcome you into their arms? Ha! Same old Axel, he still believes he has a heart. But of course, you and I both know that nobodies like us don't have such things." it said. The taller figure turned to the shorter one. "Isn't that right, rookie?"

"Yes, Larxene." the shorter figure replied. With that, the figures disappeared into shadow.

Later that day, the group reached Riften. There, the Dovahkiin met with an old associate of his named Vex and learned of the mysterious figures' location. The Nord sighed and went back to the others.

"It seems that the figures were last seen heading toward Castle Volkihar." he said with a groan.

"Is that far?" asked Axel.

"It's on the other side of the province. And worse, the only reason someone would want to go to that place is to go to the Soul Cairn."

"What's the Soul Cairn?" asked Hisana.

The Dovahkiin sighed. "It's a long story. I'll tell you on the way."

* * *

**The Soul Cairn, two days later...**

* * *

"...and at the end of it, I had to fight an enormous undead dragon known as Durnevhiir. I bested him with the help of Serana and Valerica, and he gave me the title of 'Qahnaarin', or 'Vanquisher' in our tongue." the Dovahkiin finished as they entered the Soul Cairn. "Well, here we are."

The Soul Cairn was a dark and desolate place filled with ruined castles, ghostly spirits, shadow-like skeleton warriors, and an endless thunderstorm. The group gazed in somewhat disturbed wonder at the dark world as they walked across its (sandy? I'm not entirely sure) and bone strewn valleys. The Dovahkiin lead the way, with Evelyn trailing right behind him. Hisana and Axel walked side by side behind her.

"This place is...very strange. But, I kind of like it." Hisana noted as she looked at their surroundings.

"Really? It gives me the creeps." said Axel.

"My parents used to tell me stories about a world like this. A place where light never shined, cities and buildings fell to ruin, and the only inhabitants were mindless killing machines who knew only pain and suffering."

"Sounds real cheery."

Hisana laughed. "Yeah, that's what I said too."

Both of them laughed at that. Evelyn smiled at their interaction just before the Dovahkiin stopped in front of the door to an enormous structure.

"We're here." he said.

He and the others drew their weapons as they entered the boneyard. Inside, it looked as though the boneyard had been built in the form of a large arena, closed off on all sides with a platform on each of the four walls, and a slightly raised platform in the center. Two cloaked figures stood on the center platform. The taller of the two had her hood pulled down, revealing her electric blonde hair and green eyes that shone with cruel intent. The shorter figure still had their hood up, and their features were hidden. Axel stepped forward and glared at the tall blonde.

"Yo, Larxene. It's been awhile." he said with usual cockiness.

"Long time no see, Axel. I see you've made some new friends." Larxene countered.

"I gotta say, I always knew you were a bitch, but I never thought you'd end up Marluxia's bitch."

Larxene grew absolutely furious. "The fuck did you just say?"

"You heard me, bitch."

"Oh, you're going to regret that one, Axel."

A loud roar came from overhead, followed by the whooshing sound of a pair of large wings as a shadow passed over the heroes. A great dragon, with rotting green scales and oddly shaped horns descended from above and landed behind Larxene and the other nobody. Now it was the Dovahkiin's turn to step forward.

"Durnevhiir!" he called.

"Forgive me...Qahnaarin...I must...obey...this witch's commands..." the dragon spoke in a low rumbling voice.

"Looks like this will be an interesting fight, don't you think, Axel?" Larxene asked sinisterly.

"What the?! There are_ four_ guardians?!" Axel said.

"Nope, the rules haven't changed. You guys killed one of the guardians, which means that two of us up here are the remaining guardians. But the question is, which of us is, and which of us isn't?"

Axel grit his teeth. "You bitch..."

"Y'know, I'm getting really tired of hearing you call me that!"

Larxene clenched her fingers into fists, and yellow tipped knives suddenly appeared in between her fingers.

"Then why don't you do something about it?" Axel glanced at the others. "She's mine, take Durnevhiir and the other one!"

He and Larxene leapt at each other before anyone could reply. While the two senior nobodies engaged in a ferocious duel of fire and lightning, Hisana and the Dovahkiin went for Durnevhiir, who had summoned a small legion of black skeletons to his side. Evelyn was left to face the unknown nobody. The tan woman readied her weapons, and the short figure held out its hands. A gold and black sword appeared in one hand, while a large almost wheel shaped shield appeared in the other. The figure's hood fell back with a flick of their head, revealing wild long yellow hair and golden eyes attached to a slightly pale and sinisterly feminine face.

"Come, it is time for Rikxaga to destroy you. Superior will be most pleased." said the strange girl.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but the only one who'll be destroyed here is you!" Evelyn countered as she she sprang toward the girl.

"Hmhm, we'll see."

While they began to exchange blows, Larxene cringed as one of Axel's flaming chakrams cut across her side. The pyro's gaze had gone from it's usual calm playfullness to deadly serious. Larxene growled and tossed a quick barrage of lightning charged knives at her former ally. Axel deflected most of the projectiles, but a few lodged themselves in his shoulder. He cringed slightly and shrugged off the pain before hurling a vortex of fire at Larxene. The blonde knife wielder barely had time to react before the blast connected and she went flying back. With a shout of anger, Larxene quickly rose to her feet and held out her hands. Orbs of lightning materialized in a long line from both of her hands. Smiling insanely, Larxene spun towards Axel, spinning the lightning orbs with her. Axel waited until her attack was just about to connect before throwing out his chakrams and creating an immense explosion of fire. Larxene had no time to dodge, and was horribly burnt. Axel could hear her scream through the flames. With a snap of his fingers, the fire vanished, and the blackened and beaten body of Larxene collapsed to the floor.

"You think they'll accept you..." the lightning user said in a hoarse voice. "you think that she'll trust you...once she learns that you have no heart?"

Axel just glared at the smoking woman. "I don't know what you're talking about."

With that he turned around and snapped his fingers. A pillar of flame rose up behind him. He could still hear her screaming as he went to aid his comrades.

Not far away, Evelyn was struggling against Rikxaga's surprisingly incredible strength. The short nobody had managed to either evade or block almost all of her attacks, and the only significant injuries she had were a deep gash in her shoulder and a broken rib. As for Evelyn, nearly everywhere on her body was either bruised or cut. The aura of blue flames that signified her power was beginning to waver. She had to end this, now. Mustering up all the strength she had left, Evelyn let out an inhuman roar and charged toward Rikxaga at incredible speed. The short nobody was surprised by the sudden burst of speed from her opponent, but managed to get her shield in front of her in time as Evelyn thrust her fist forward. However, Rikxaga hadn't considered the possibility that Evelyn's strength had undergone a boost as well, until her shield was blown apart from the force of the punch. Gritting her teeth, Rikxaga took an upward slash at Evelyn, too fast for the tall woman to dodge. The nobody's sword cut apart Evelyn's mask, revealing her rage filled amber eyes. Upon meeting the tall woman's gaze, Rikxaga felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and she collapsed to her knees, grunting in pain. Images began to fly through her head, almost all of which depicted her laying bare, struggling in vain against the ministrations of an unknown girl with the same eyes as Evelyn.

"Stop it..." she whispered against her will. "I take it back...anything...anything but this!"

Evelyn glared at the small girl in confusion, and reached down to grab her. Seeing Evelyn's hand move towards her, Rikxaga flinched and feebly backed away.

"No...no more! Please, don't touch me anymore! I...I don't want this!" Rikxaga continued.

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not even touching you!" Evelyn demanded.

Rikxaga kept crawling back until she was up against a pile of rubble. Her eyes were wide with fear, and tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"Save me..." she whispered. "Please Yomi, save me..."

Evelyn froze. "What did you just say?"

All of a sudden, Rikxaga grabbed her head as it throbbed again. When the pain subsided, she was back to normal, and realized now that both her allies were gone. Durnevhiir was already disintegrating into energy, and Larxene was burned to ashes. Axel, Hisana, and the Dovahkiin all surrounded her. Left with no other choice, Rikxaga reluctantly called forth a dark portal and disappeared with it.

"Who was that?" asked Hisana.

"Not Roxas, that's for sure." answered Axel.

Hisana noticed the shocked look on Evelyn's face. "Evelyn what's wrong?"

"That girl, she said her name was Rikxaga. She had some kind of weird spasm or something, but she started crying and begging for help all of a sudden. And just before she vanished, she called for someone to come save her."

"Did she say who?"

Evelyn nodded.

"She was calling for Yomi."

* * *

**24 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, longest chapter yet. And before anyone tries to correct me, I only know what Jagar Tharn looks like, I don't know specifically what kind of magic he wields so I had to make it up. As for the Dovahkiin, I made him nameless and gave him the generic appearance and weapons because I'm lazy lol. Anyways, plaeses continue to read and don't forget to review! Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: March of the Dark Child**

* * *

**A galaxy far, far, away, meanwhile…**

* * *

Shinzo smiled as the blonde woman beneath her writhed and squirmed. It had taken her a long time to find out who at least one guardian was, and even longer to discover how to draw them out. Juno Eclipse, a former imperial pilot, had picked up news of the strange and murderous visitor shortly after she had begun looking for her. Because of this, Shinzo had been forced to track the woman down halfway across the galaxy before she finally found her. Then it had been a simple matter of slaughtering the ex-pilot's bodyguards and taking her hostage. She let Juno send out a distress call for a man called Starkiller, the first guardian, telling him to meet them on Coruscant at the old jedi temple. While the guardian was taking his sweet time to get here, Shinzo had gotten bored, and decided that the best way to cure that boredom was by 'playing' with her captive a little. Of course, Juno hadn't been too thrilled with the idea, but Shinzo didn't really care. The blonde's struggling only made it more fun, from her perspective. Shinzo seductively ran her tongue along her captive's slender neck, earning a moan of mixed protest and pleasure.

Shinzo chuckled at the reaction. "Mmm, such a sweet taste. It's no wonder he cares about you so much, if I were him I'd want to be able to have that taste anytime I wanted."

Juno glared up at the vampiress. "Who the hell are you? What do you want with Starkiller?"

"Why, to kill him of course. He is a guardian sent by Marluxia to enforce his rule over this universe, and therefore an obstacle that must be removed. Once he's gone, I'll be one step closer to having my beloved Hisana by my side."

"You're doing all of this…just to get someone's affection?! You're insane!"

Shinzo frowned. Juno gasped as the vampiress' hand suddenly closed around her throat and pressed her against a nearby pillar.

"You would never understand. I can't win her heart as I am now…there is still something that prevents our union. Maybe I am insane, but I will not give up until my feelings are answered!"

With an angry growl, Shinzo threw her captive to the floor. Juno rubbed her throat and looked up at her captor. Ever since her transformation during the fight with Anderson, the corrupted portions of Shinzo's body had spread from the center of her chest and shoulders to her upper arms and back. The ethereal glow of her eyes had faded, but they still seemed to glow even in daylight. Her zanpakutou had remained in its altered form, so now a set of six demonic looking longswords had taken the place of her rapiers on her waist and back. Taking a good look at her opponent's weaponry, Juno managed to smirk and let out a small laugh. Shinzo glared at her.

"What is so funny?" she demanded.

Juno dared to meet her gaze. "Do you really think you can beat him with some swords? Even if they're as powerful as you say, a metal sword is nothing when put up against a lightsaber."

Now it was Shinzo's turn to smirk. "Oh, is that so? Well then…" the vampiress reached around and pulled out two metallic handles. "It's a good thing I found these, isn't it?"

Juno's eyes widened in fear at the sight of the weapons. She'd heard rumors of how deadly her captor was with swords, and it could certainly spell trouble for Starkiller if the strange woman could best him in a duel of blades. At this point, the jedi had only one possible advantage over Shinzo. While Shinzo stood admiring the fear in Juno's eyes, Xalir entered the room.

"**Hey, psycho bitch. He's here."** said the soulless.

Since killing Kha'Zix, the mad boy had grown a pair of insect like wings. More and more it seemed that he and Shinzo had more in common than just insanity. The vampiress nodded at her partner, then turned to her captive.

"Well, shall we go see him, then?" she said, smiling maniacally.

* * *

Starkiller stormed into the main hall of the ruined temple, boiling with rage. General Kohta ran to catch up to him.

"Wait, boy! You know this is a trap!" the veteran jedi warned.

"I don't care. I'm going to make whoever took Juno pay." answered Starkiller.

"I understand you're upset, but you must clear your mind. If you let your anger get the better of you, then you'll just make it easier for whoever did this to outsmart you."

Despite his worries, Starkiller knew the old man was right. He took a deep breath to calm himself, if only by a little. Kohta put his hand on the young jedi.

"We'll get her back. It'll be alright." he said softly. "But be careful, I sense that whoever is responsible for this has an incredibly strong connection to the dark side, possibly even stronger than yours."

Starkiller nodded, and the two of them continued through the temple. Eventually they made their way to what remained of the library, where they found Shinzo waiting for them atop the railing of the second floor. The vampiress held one arm around Juno, while she pressed one of her longswords against her captive's throat with the other. Starkiller grit his teeth at the sight.

"Juno!" he cried.

"You must be Starkiller. It's about time you showed up, I was starting to get bored of playing with her." Shinzo said. She nestled her head in the crook of Juno's neck and licked her lips while ran her free hand across the blonde's chest, much to Starkiller's displeasure.

"Let her go!"

Shinzo smiled maniacally. "If you insist."

The vampiress released Juno, and the ex-pilot fell towards the ground. Starkiller ran over and caught her just before she touched the ground. He let a look of relief spread across his face before it turned to one of shock. He hadn't seen it before, but the entire left portion of Juno's neck was stained with blood. The source of the crimson fluid was a series of sharp canine shaped puncture wounds. Rage burned in the jedi's eyes, and he glared at Shinzo. The vampiress had discarded her sadistic smirk for a sympathetic frown. Starkiller could feel his teeth grinding as anger flooded his entire being.

"Raaaaaaaaaaah!" he cried as he sprang high into the air towards Shinzo.

The young jedi activated his dual blue lightsabers and slashed at the vampiress. Shinzo drew her own pair of red lightsabers and stopped the strikes just above her head. She shoved the enraged jedi back, then backflipped away onto the actual second floor. Shinzo took a stance as Starkiller jumped down to face her. Both warriors stared into each other's eyes with murderous intent. Then both tightened their hold on their weapons as they dashed forward and blades began to clash in a blur of red and blue energy. The ruins of the once great temple began to crumble and collapse as they were cut apart by the warrior's ferocious battle. The jedi and the vampiress initially proved to be equal in skill when it came to handling a blade, but as the fight carried on, Shinzo began to realize her skill with weapons was above his. Starkiller was not yet aware of his predicament, for he was too blinded by rage to focus on any other thing besides killing the woman who had taken Juno away from him forever. Kohta sensed the path the duel was heading toward, and activated his lightsaber. He was just about to go to Starkiller's aid, when he sensed a heavy object rapidly approaching his head. The blind jedi ducked under Xalir's scepter as it crashed into the column he had been standing next to. Rolling aside, Kohta struck a defensive stance and prepared to face the soulless boy head on. Even without his eyes, Kohta could see the evil that radiated from the boy and the woman as plain as daylight. Readying himself, Kohta leapt at Xalir. By this time, Shinzo and Starkiller's fight had traveled from the second floor to somewhere on the fourth. The vampiress did an elegant backflip as the jedi's blades sliced a column in half. The damaged support fell to the ground just as red and blue resumed their dance of death. Shinzo silently praised her opponent's skills. She had been expecting a difficult fight from the young man, and was glad to see that she was not disappointed. Smiling to herself, Shinzo decided it was time for the guardian to know his place. In the midst of a horizontal strike, she suddenly rotated her lightsabers and spun them about in a lightning fast vertical flurry. Starkiller felt blows land on his shoulder, arm, chest, and leg all in a matter of seconds. Confused and in pain, he recklessly lashed out at the vampiress. Shinzo made no effort to dodge, and only cringed a little as she felt the jedi's blades cut across her torso. Starkiller blinked in surprise right before Shinzo launched into a long volley of quick strikes that left him burned and badly cut. Before Starkiller could even recover a breath, Shinzo thrust her foot into his stomach, launching the young jedi into the remains of a bookcase. Holding her blades at her sides, Shinzo slowly walked over to finish him off.

"You are talented, I respect that. Perhaps _she_ did as well." the vampiress taunted.

Starkiller forced himself to sit up and glare at her.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Seeing the one you love so cruelly taken away from you, kept apart from you by forces you could not control."

Starkiller noticed Shinzo's smile begin to fade, replaced by a cold glare of emptiness and anguish.

"I know all too well the feeling of that pain. That's why...that's why I have to kill you. I have to destroy the guardians, or I will never be able to experience a life where she and I can love one another." Shinzo raised her lightsabers to deal the killing blow. "Now die, guardian!"

Just as she swung, Shinzo suddenly found herself thrown against a pile of debris by an unknown power. As she climbed out of the rubble, she saw Kohta standing on the edge of the fourth floor, with one hand stretched out toward her and the other holding back an even more enraged than usual Xalir. The blind jedi turned toward Starkiller.

"You're no match for her with your lightsabers! Use the force, boy!" he said.

"Got it." Starkiller grunted as he stood up and wiped blood from his mouth.

Shinzo charged toward him with her blades spinning in deadly arcs. Starkiller held a hand out towards her, and once again Shinzo was carried off her feet and thrust against the temple ruins. The vampiress struggled against the invisible hands of the force, but to no avail. Starkiller had her in his grasp, and now it was his turn to display his strength. With an angry yell, the jedi tossed Shinzo into the air, followed by a barrage of powerful force lightning. Shinzo cried out in pain as the deadly volts electrified her, leaving her smoking and burnt as she fell toward the bottom floor. She was only halfway down when the force took hold of her again, and she was flung skyward. Using the force as a boost, Starkiller leaped high into the air above his opponent, and cast down his lightsabers. Both blades stuck into Shinzo, and she let out a howl of pain. Still airborne, Starkiller then sent an explosive ball of force lightning and then a simultaneous force push down at her. The lightning burst as it collided with the vampiress, still shocking her as she was forced into the ground by the push blast that followed. The force of the blast had torn the lightsabers embedded in Shinzo's body, allowing Starkiller to catch them as he quickly descended toward her. Shinzo lay unmoving on the ground below. Never before had she felt this much pain, and never had she felt so powerless against an enemy. Doubt and fear of death began to enter her mind, and she gazed up at the rapidly descending jedi in terror. Starkiller thrust his blades into the vampiress's chest as he landed standing above her with aloud crash. Shinzo grimaced as he withdrew his blades from her chest and positioned the points just above her neck. The vampiress knew that no matter how great her healing abilities were, if her head were to be severed from her body, she would truly die. Fear coursed through her every being, and her eyes closed as she prepared to meet her unexpected end. Time seemed to slow down as Starkiller raised his blades, and she released what would surely be her last breath. But just then, a strange feeling came over her. The feeling was familiar, in more ways than one. Something important had happened to someone...someone she knew and was very far away. And the other feeling...it had something to do with vampirism, that much was certain. Her eyes shot open in realization. It was Hisana. Something had happened to Hisana. Something that involved vampirism. It couldn't be...it would have been too good to be true...but the feeling she had just received provided more than enough evidence. The vampiress's mouth twisted into a smile of mixed insanity and glee.

"She's joined me..." she said aloud.

Starkiller stopped his strike midway at hearing her voice. "What?"

Shinzo stared up at the jedi. "She's finally ac**cepted our gift. She's just like me now!"**

Suddenly filled with a renewed will to live, Shinzo lashed out with a hand, caught Starkiller's leg, quickly pulled her head toward it, and sank her teeth in. Starkiller cried out in pain as wickedly sharp canines dug into the soft flesh of his leg, spilling blood into Shinzo's mouth. Before he could try to remove her from his lower body, Shinzo suddenly held up an open palm toward him. From where she lay with her teeth dug in his leg, Shinzo stared up as her eyes became an ethereal pure red.

**"My turn!"** she growled through her teeth.

Starkiller suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a powerful surge of red force lightning, and screamed in agony as his flesh began to burn off his body. Withdrawing her bloodied canines from the jedi's leg, Shinzo stood up and began to pour twice as much lightning as her other hand joined the assault. As Starkiller burned, the corrupted portions of Shinzo's body spread to her elbows and down her spine, stopping just above her waist line. Now, aside from a few straps that kept the remainder of her chestplate in place, the vampiress's back was completely bare. Shinzo finally stopped electrifying Starkiller to watch him drop to his knees, burned beyond recognition. Somehow, the jedi was still barely alive. Her smile widening, Shinzo positioned her lightsabers at Starkiller's neck.

**"You lose!"** she cried as she slashed.

Starkiller's head rolled to the floor with a thud. The young jedi was no more. Seeing his companion slain by the vampiress, Kohta knew that there was no longer any reason to remain at the temple. With a heavy heart, the blind veteran blew back his opponent with a force blast and bolted from the temple as fast as he could. Xalir cursed and started to run after him.

**"Leave him. He is of no consequence to us."** Shinzo commanded.

Reluctantly, Xalir obeyed his partner. Noticing the very evident smile on Shinzo's face, he gave her a puzzled look.

**"What are you so happy about?"** inquired the soulless.

Shinzo looked over at him, ethereal eyes aglow with sheer bliss. **"My beloved little sister has finally grown up. Now she is a fully-fledged vampire, just like me."**

* * *

The evil pair decided to spend the night at a cheap hotel later that evening, desperate for rest after spending a full week of following up leads and fighting countless enemies. Shinzo slept soundly for a time, content with the knowledge of her sister's transformation. Eventually, she began to stir in her sleep, and was transported to the mysterious world of dreams. Shinzo found herself standing in the midst of an endless wasteland, littered with barren planes and demolished cities and topped with a starless black sky, in which sat a brilliant and shining full moon. The strange world amazed her with its overwhelming feeling of emptiness, and she began to wander about. As she entered the ruins of what had appeared to have once been a castle, a sudden loud clanging reached her ears. Curious, she made her way through the ruins, following the sound. Eventually she found herself standing in the bleachers of a partially ruined arena, overlooking a gladiator's pit where two strange warriors stood. One was a short woman dressed in pure white cloth and armor, who held a spear and shield in her hands and a beautiful pair of angelic wings on her back. The woman had white hair that hung over her shoulders in a pair of long curls, and her ringed irises were colored a deep violet. On the other side of the arena stood a slightly taller woman adorned in ornate, jagged, pitch black armor everywhere from the neck down. She had wavy ebony hair that stopped a little past her shoulders, and held a pair of enormous greatswords with eye shaped jewels embedded in their hilts that seemed to weigh nothing to her. Her blood red eyes shone brightly with lust, and a small yet sadistic smile crept onto her lips. Shinzo realized with a start that the angelic woman's face was exactly like Hisana's, just as the woman in black's face mirrored her own. Without warning, both women burst towards each other, and began exchanging blows with such elegance and ferocity that Shinzo was left breathless at the sight. The sight did not last long, as the woman in black armor quickly began to overpower her opponent. Soon enough, the angelic fighter was knocked to the floor. Shinzo felt a pang of guilt at this, unable to tell the difference between the mysterious white fighter's face and that of her sister's. The woman in black smiled seductively and tossed her weapons aside before straddling her beaten opponent and forcefully locking lips with her. The white haired woman's eyes shot open in protest, then slowly began to close as her cheeks reddened and the pleasure set ebony haired woman's smile became softer as she and the other woman quickly succumbed to desire. Shinzo marveled at the sight of the two great warriors embracing one another so passionately.

**"Do you like what you see?"** a voice nearly identical to her own suddenly spoke.

Shinzo whirled her head around in alarm, but could find no one else around her save for the couple embracing nearby. It took a moment for her to realize that the woman with a face like hers had been the one to talk, and was currently staring at her. The ebony haired warrior smiled seductively.

**"If you want to enjoy this pleasure..." ** the woman continued, holding the white hair close. **"Then all you need to do is open your heart to her. Even if she denies you, once she's had a taste of what you could give her, she will be all yours."**

Before Shinzo could ask what her strange look alike meant, the pair kissed passionately again, and the world faded to black. When Shinzo opened her eyes again, she was staring up at the ceiling of her hotel room. Sighing heavily, she returned to sleep, pondering over the armored woman's words.

* * *

Two days later, the pair had learned of what could possibly be the other two guardians of this universe. Apparently, a pair of hooded individuals, one in black and one in white, had been seen on the watery world of Kamino. Considering the fact that there were millions of characters who could have fit that description, the pair decided that it that even though they were more likely to find a pair of wanted criminals instead of guardians, they might as well give the rumor a try. So after 'acquiring' a small transport and after a long look at the instruction manual, Shinzo and Xalir arrived on the stormy planet. Like always, it was raining heavily. Shinzo and Xalir had only traversed a few walkways when they stopped on a large circular platform. The walkways connecting the platform to all the others retracted, with Xalir still on one of them, leaving Shinzo separated from her partner. Sensing a number of powerful presences, Shinzo immediately activated her lightsabers. Two figures, one in white and one in black, stepped forward onto the edge of a platform that was a far height above her. The figure in the black cloak pulled down his hood, revealing a mature male's face with a tan skin tone and gray hair accompanied by yellow eyes. The figure at his side mimicked his action, and revealed his equally tan face with purple hair and yellow eyes. To Shinzo's surprise, both men had the same exact face.

"So, this is Shinzo Takanashi? I thought she'd be taller." said the purple haired one.

"Do not underestimate her, Sanmex. She is as deadly a foe as either of us." said the gray haired one.

"Indeed, Xemnas. Should we do battle with her?"

"Not yet. If you recall, we promised that other competitor that he'd have a chance to face her before us."

Sanmex nodded. "This is true. Very well then, let us see what she is capable of. Ryth!"

A shadow leapt over the two figures and down toward the platform where Shinzo stood. Upon entering the light, Shinzo could make out that the figure was wearing a full suit of dark armor, with a glowing purple vizor running vertically down the center of his helmet. The figure stood nearly a foot and a half taller than Shinzo, and held an all too familiar handle in his hand. The armored man began walking around the vampiress, taking in every inch of her form.

"I had heard whispers of a powerful woman traveling the multiverse. Whispers that this woman was a highly skilled warrior who could best even the mightiest of foes." said the man in a deep, semi-robotic tone.

Shinzo narrowed her eyes at the man. "Have you come to stop me from attaining my wish?"

"I care not for what reason you have decided to participate in this game. I haven't faced a worthy opponent in centuries, and I yearn for the glory of a duel of the fates." with that, the man activated his weapon, and a blade of purple/black energy sprouted from the hilt.

Shinzo readied her weapons. "Would you give me the pleasure of learning your name before I kill you?"

"I am called Ryth."

"Then let us duel, Ryth."

Both warriors nodded at each other, then each took a stance. They stared intently at each other for a time, taking no heed of the downpour that drenched their clothing. After what seemed like a few minutes, both warriors sprang to life and began to throw everything they had at each other. Ryth was surprisingly nimble despite his armor, and Shinzo occasionally found it difficult to anticipate his movements. What was more, every time the deathless blademaster landed a hit, it felt as though he had landed ten. His strength surprised her, but it did not last for long. Soon Shinzo was able to see through Ryth's feints and maneuvers, and began to quickly outmatch his speed and agility. Soon enough, she had Ryth retreating toward the edge of the platform. The deathless realized he was losing, and decided to make one last attempt. Spinning and stepping to the side for a moment, Ryth suddenly leapt into the air, spinning his armored boots in an attempt to kick his opponent. Shinzo leaned under the attack, and Ryth landed back on his feet. The moment he did, the deathless thrust his blade forward. The attack would be his last, as Shinzo parried the blow and used her extra blade to sever Ryth's arm form his body. The deathless grunted in immense pain as he gripped the stump that was his arm. Shinzo then kicked Ryth so that he spun around with his back to her, and thrust both her lightsabers into his back and through his chest. Ryth gave one last groan of pain before going limp and tumbling over the side of the platform and into the raging sea below, taking the vampiress's lightsabers with him. Shinzo looked back at the two guardians who had watched the fight unfold. Both gazed at her with a look of indifference, but she could see the hesitation in their eyes. Chuckling amusedly to herself, Shinzo drew a pair of the demonic longswords that were her zanpakutou. Xemnas cast a glance at Sanmex. The soulless nodded, and the nobody returned the gesture. Then both men teleported down from where they stood and reappeared in front of Shinzo. By now, Xalir had managed to get the walkways working again, and flew down beside his partner. At the appearance of the blue haired boy, Sanmex gave a look of confusion.

"Xalir?! What are you doing working with her? You are to answer only to me and Trotejy, remember?" said the elder soulless.

**"The fuck are you talking about? I don't know you."** Xalir responded.

"I see...so your rage has become so great that you have forgotten your superior. Very well then, I will simply have to beat the memories back into you." a pair of golden ethereal blades formed in either of Sanmex's hands.

**"Ha! I'd like to see you try!"**

The two soulless flew into battle without another word. Xemnas held out his hands and formed his own pair of red ethereal blades. Shinzo took a stance, and smirked devilishly at the nobody. Both fighters fought at incredible speed, Shinzo with her zanpakutou and Xemnas with his ethereal blades. Surprisingly, the nobody's weapons were not able to break Shinzo's weapons, despite his being made of energy and hers out of...whatever metal is called when fused with demonic flesh. Xemnas didn't give up, however, and since a battle of blades was beginning to turn in his opponent's favor, he leapt into the air and summoned an enormous amount of energy orbs in a dome around the vampiress.

"Let's see you survive this!" challenged Xemnas.

Shinzo merely smirked and prepared herself. With a wave of his hand, Xemnas sent all of the orbs flying at the short girl. Shinzo disappeared in an explosion of energy. Xemnas chuckled to himself. He knew that the only reason someone had managed to survive this attack before, had been because they had an ally with them to help deflect the blasts. But Shinzo was alone, and despite her healing powers, there was no doubt that such an assault focused entirely on her would bring about her hand. He couldn't be more wrong. A single figure, bathed in a violent red aura, burst from the explosion and stopped in front of Xemnas. With a start, the nobody recognized the figure as none other than Shinzo herself. SHe was completely unharmed, and her eyes were now glowing an ethereal red. Another thing that surprised him was the fact that Shinzo was now completely unarmed. All of her swords had disappeared. While Xemnas was pondering this, a cloud of rose petals began to form around him. At first he was confused by the sudden appearance of the flowers, until realization struck him Before he could try to escape Shinzo spread her arms wide, smiling maliciously.

**"Chi ga arashi...no bara!"** (blood rose storm) she yelled.

At her command, the petals instantly reformed into her six longswords, all of which stuck into various parts of Xemnas's body. The nobody let out a groan of intense pain as blood began to rapidly flee his body from his many wounds, and he fell back down to the platform. While Shinzo investigated Xemnas' s unconscious form, Xalir continued to duel furiously with Sanmex. The two soulless were just entering the fifth minute of their battle shen suddenly a portal opened up next to them. Out of it walked a shirtless boy with purple hair and khaki shorts, none other than the younger version of Sanmex. The older Sanmex spotted him and froze.

"What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

"Trotejy sent me to find out why Xalir had turned on us." Young Sanmex replied nonchalantly.

"You fool! We can't be in the same place at the same time! Don't you know what could ha-"

Before the conversation could continue any further, both versions of Sanmex were consumed by an enormous fireball thrown by Xalir. The piles of ash that remained smoldered for a short time before the endless rain doused the flames. Both Xalir and Shinzo stared at the ash piles for a moment.

**"Well that wa**s...odd." Shinzo stated. Her eyes returned to their non-glowing state. "But, so long as the guardian was destroyed, then it does no matter how it happened. His death just brings me one step closer to Hisana."

"Hi...sana...?" Xemnas wheezed from where he lay. "Hi...sana...Taka...nashi...?"

Shinzo turned toward the nobody. "Yes, my beloved little sister who will soon be mine."

"I see...so it is...the same...Hisana..."

"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Axel...a former...associate...of mine...he is...trying to...win...her heart...as well..." Xemnas strained a short laugh. "Axel...ever the fool...even...after all...this time...he still believes...that he...has...a heart...Fool...we...are nobodies...such things...do not exist...for us..."

With one final breath, the former superior of Organization XIII expired, and dissolved into particles of darkness. Shinzo was left boiling with fury over his last words. So this 'Axel' character wanted Hisana as well? Fine then. She will simply have to remove him. Marluxia's short announcement was made, and the portal to the next world opened. Still filled with anger, Shinzo marched into the gateway, determined more than ever to obtain her impossible wish.

* * *

**Unknown Location, meanwhile...**

* * *

Marluxia was struggling to keep his calm composure as he watched the vampiress enter the gateway. It had barely been two weeks since he started this game, and already he had lost half of his guardians. He shot a glance at Ikxaru, who was kneeling beside an unconscious Rikxaga in a nearby room. He hadn't been watching when she left to aid Larxene, and now something had happened to the short nobody that left her bedridden and crying herself to sleep. The overseer ground his teeth as he frown in absolute frustration. His enemies had grown too strong, their resolve had to waver. There had to be something he could do, someplace he could send them where they would lose hope. As he pondered this, an idea crossed his mind, and his frown quickly became a devious smile. Yes, if he sent them _there_, then they would undoubtedly withdraw. He shuddered slightly as memories of his experiences in _there_ resurfaced. If he did this, he would be bending the rules, for in _that_ world there were no guardians. At least, not any guardians that he could control. Marluxia allowed a low chuckle to escape his lips. So what if he bent the rules a bit? It was _his_ game, after all. With his decision made, the overseer quickly set to work diverting the course of the gateways. There was no doubt that this next world would be a true test to the heroes who threatened his rule.

* * *

**21 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, before you all go wtf about that little bit with the two Sanmex's, please remember that those characters, as well as Xalir and Trotejy, are all from Ekkeusuteria's Dinosaur Hearts series, which runs parallel to mine. That was his idea. Moving on, what kind of horrors await our heroes (and villains) in the next world? Who could this mysterious woman whose face looks like Shinzo's be? Find out next time on Dragonball Z! Lol as always, please continue to read and don't forget to review! Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Shadows of the Past (pt. 1)**

* * *

**Unknown Location**

* * *

_**Axel**_

* * *

"What the-where the hell am I?!" said Axel as he looked about.

The redheaded nobody had just been standing next to Hisana and Evelyn mere moments ago when they entered the portal to the next world, when suddenly everything had gone dark and his companions had vanished. Now Axel was standing in what appeared to be an enormous cathedral (for reference, think the size of St Ignatius cathedral in San Francisco), with painted windows that depicted various scenes from his past. Upon closer inspection, Axel found that one side of the cathedral showed his distant past, and the other his most recent past. On the left side, there sat a panel depicting a scene he would never forget. It was an image of him and Roxas, sitting atop the clock tower in Twilight Town eating ice cream. He sighed and smiled softly at the memory of days long past. On the right side of the room, he found himself staring at a panel that showed an image of him and Hisana smiling brightly, walking hand in hand. The image filled him with happiness just as the other did, but then a wave of guilt crashed over his mind. Axel looked back and forth at the two images, unsure what to make of them.

"You can't decide, can you?"

Axel froze at the voice. It was unmistakable. The lightheartedness and generosity of its tone was all too painfully familiar. Slowly, the redhead turned around. Upon laying eyes on the speaker, he found himself torn between relief and guilt. He hadn't misheard, it was exactly who he thought it was.

"Roxas…" Axel whispered.

The short boy smiled softly at him with sky blue eyes. He was dressed in the familiar black robes of Organization XIII. His spiky blonde hair shook slightly as he nodded.

"That's right, you remember me."

"Wha-how could I possibly forget you? You're my best friend!"

Roxas's smile faded slightly as he pointed at the wall behind Axel. "I used to be."

Axel shot his old friend a confused look before turning around. Roxas was pointing at the image of Axel and Hisana walking hand in hand. Realization dawned on the redhead as he turned back around.

"That? She's just a friend, Roxas. No one besides you could take the place you have in my heart." he said.

Roxas's smile faded completely now. "You're lying."

"What?"

"You have feelings for that girl. The same kind you had for me."

"N-no I don't! I told you, Hisana is just a friend!"

"Hisana, huh? That's a pretty name, perfect for a pretty girl like her."

"Shut up! What the hell do you know!"

Axel's eyes widened as he registered his own words. His gaze fell to the floor.

"What was I supposed to do…you died, and then I didn't have anyone left. When I came back to life, I hoped that you would come back with me, but you were still gone. I knew then, that you would never come back. So I set out…I never thought I'd meet Hisana, or that I'd become friends with her. Or…or…"

"Or that you'd fall in love with her." Roxas finished.

Axel directed his gaze to the side. "Why are you here, anyway? Am I dead too now?"

Roxas shook his head. "No, you're still alive. I'm here to test you."

"Test me? On what?"

The next thing he knew, Axel was dodging a swing from a pair of black and white keyblades. The pyro looked in surprise at Roxas, who now stood brandishing his weapons in an offensive stance. The short blonde glared straight into his eyes.

"Show me where your heart lies! If I really am the one closest to your heart, then you won't dodge the next attack. But…"

"Roxas, please…" Axel felt a weight in his chest.

"…if she really is the one you long for…"

"Please don't…" he closed his fists.

"…then take your weapon in hand…"

"Don't make me do this!" Axel summoned his chakrams.

"…and strike me down."

Gritting his teeth, Axel waited until the shorter nobody was lunging at him before yelling in absolute frustration and basting Roxas back with a burst of fire. The shorter nobody landed on his feet, mildly surprised by the sheer power of the blast. Flames were now raging around the former friends as Axel charged at him, swinging and slashing with all his might. Roxas found himself barely able to counter the blows. Axel glared at him the entire time, struggling to keep back tears of pain and frustration.

"Why do you always do this?!" Axel demanded as they fought.

He blocked a volley of blows from Roxas before countering with a fire-enhanced kick that knocked the blonde back.

"You think you can just go around saying and doing whatever the hell you want! You never care what happens to me or anyone else! All you can think of is yourself!"

Roxas scowled and caught the pyro with a double uppercut between blows. Axel was knocked flat on his back, and felt the end of a keyblade against his chin. Roxas glared down at him.

"And what about you? You say you love me, and then you toss me aside the moment some sad little whore comes along! Are you really certain you have a heart, Axel? Because you seem to excel at breaking them! I'll bet you're just into her for the fun of it! You just want someone to force your emotions onto, all so you can pretend to have a heart!"

Axel froze for a moment, then the ground around him and Roxas started to shake violently. Fissures began to open up around the nobodies, and out of them rose enormous pillars of flame.

"How dare you…" Axel began.

The flames rose higher, and he smacked Roxas's weapons aside. The pyro sprang to his feet and glared straight into the blonde's eyes.

"You think I'm just some pretender…you think I don't feel a thing for anyone?! Bullshit!" then, summoning all the courage he could, he declared, "I love Hisana!"

Before Roxas could even try to react, Axel exploded toward him via a jet of flame. The pyro slammed into the blonde, knocking him back a few steps. Roxas tried to regain his ground as Axel launched a barrage of lightning fast strikes, but to no avail. After a short exchange of blows, Axel disarmed Roxas and knocked him to the floor. As the shorter nobody began to rose, he felt the tips of the pyro's chakrams at his throat. Axel frowned at his beaten opponent, and the raging flames around them slowly died out.

"…she reminds me of you." he whispered once the flames had gone. "She's kind, and willing to stick up for herself. She puts the wellbeing of others before her own, and trusts me as she would her best friend. I love her, just like I loved you."

Roxas was still for a moment, letting the words sink in. Then, he began to laugh lightly. Axel gave him a puzzled look.

"What's so funny?"

"You're cool when you're honest like that. You should really try to be that way more often. Got it memorized?"

Axel smiled lightly. "Hey, that's my line."

Roxas nodded and relaxed against the floor. "You passed the test. Now all you have to do is finish me off, and you'll be out of here." he saw the hesitation in his friend's eyes. "Don't worry, I won't feel a thing. And besides, she's waiting for you. I want you to be happy, Axel."

Axel paused, but managed to breath a sigh of relief. "I got you. I'll make it quick."

Roxas nodded. "It was good to be able to see you again, Axel. Goodbye."

Axel nodded and closed his eyes. "Same to you."

He swung his blades, and the shadow beneath him disappeared.

"Goodbye, Roxas."

* * *

_**Tsuyo-sa**_

* * *

She was running out of time. Mere moments ago, she had gone with Yasha through the portal that appeared after their confrontation with the strange blonde girl. Then, as they were about to come up on the next world, everything around her went black, and Yasha was no longer by her side. She then found herself alone, standing on the bottom of a bell tower of what seemed like a massive cathedral. Before she could even try to investigate her surroundings, an enormous mass of darkness descended on her from above. She acted quickly, summoning her gauntlets and catching the mass before it could crush her. The dark mass was heavier than she had originally thought, and even with her great strength she had been forced to squat in order to hold it up. That was all three minutes ago, and she was still holding the weight of the dark mass. As time went by, the mass seemed to get heavier and heavier, and soon she found herself down on a knee. _I won't give up…_ she thought to herself. _Whatever this is, I'll keep holding on until it lets up. I've got to be strong!_

**Five minutes pass…**

The mass had seemed to double in weight, and now she was on both knees, struggling to keep the dark mass at bay.

"Just a little longer (pant!) it won't beat me! (pant)" she told herself.

**Twenty minutes…**

The weight of the mass had quadrupled. Tsuyo-sa was now resting her elbows on the floor to keep it up.

"Gotta…stay…strong…" she gasped.

**Forty-Five minutes…**

The short brunette was now reduced to her shoulders. The weight of the mass had increased so much that her gauntlets had been crushed to pieces. She knew that any minute now, she would collapse, and the darkness would crush her.

"Someone…please help…I'm not…strong…enough…please…I can't…do it…alone…anymore…" she managed to wheeze.

"All you need to do is ask." a gentle voice whispered softly.

Tsuyo-sa suddenly felt her strength return, and the weight of the dark mass vanished. She looked up to see a tan girl around the same height as her, clothed in a black hoodie embroidered with white flame designs and boots, with a black vertebrae like tail flitting back and forth behind her, holding up the mass of darkness with a pair of huge black gauntlets that concealed her lower arms. The girl's face was hidden beneath the shadow of her hood, but Tsuyo-sa could make out a kind smile as she sent the mass flying back to wherever it came from with a single shove. The girl dematerialized her large gauntlets and offered her hand to Tsuyo-sa.

"You can't do everything on your own. When things get hard, don't be afraid to call on your friends to help you. They will always come to your aid." the hooded girl continued.

The brunette gladly accepted her hand, and was pulled to her feet.

"Thanks for the advice, and for saving me. I don't know how much longer I would've lasted." Tsuyo-sa began.

The hooded girl nodded. "Anything for you, Tsuyo-sa."

"Huh? How'd you know my name? Who are you?"

The hooded girl's smile seemed to widen. "Well, this is going to sound a little strange, but I don't know how else to put it…"

The girl pulled down her hood, revealing a head of short snow-white hair and a tanned young face framed by two ringed amber eyes. The tan girl put her hands on Tsuyo-sa's shoulders.

"My name is Strength. I'm…your 'father'." she said softly.

Tsuyo-sa fell silent. The girl in front of her, Strength, who had saved her life only seconds earlier, now claims to be her long lost parent? It could have been some weird joke, but the tan girl had spoken with pure honesty, and looked overjoyed to see her. Taking a closer look, Tsuyo-sa saw the resemblances between her and her 'father'. Like Strength, she wasn't very tall, and her hair and face were shaped in the same way. Even their choice of weaponry was the same. Yes, there was no denying it. This girl was undoubtedly her missing parent. Tears of joy began streaming from her eyes.

"I…I understand that this is a lot to take in, so if you need a moment-" Strength continued.

"Father!" Tsuyo-sa cried as she embraced the other girl.

(**A/N:** from now on, we will refer to the more patriarchal parents in these yuri-couples as 'father'. Just makes things easier.)

Strength paused for a moment, then smiled and returned the embrace. Tsuyo-sa cried into her father's chest and held her tight, for fear that she might disappear. Strength let her daughter cry to her heart's content, softly running her fingers through the younger girl's hair as her own tears began to fall. They remained like this for a time, 'father' and daughter locked in each other's arms. Finally, Tsuyo-sa pulled away to look her father in the eye.

"I'm so glad I found you. Now you can come with me and Yasha and we can go see mom! She'll be so glad to see you!" the brunette said hopefully. "We can finally all be together!"

Tsuyo-sa turned to leave, holding tightly to her father's arm. Strength didn't budge. Tsuyo-sa shot her a confused look, and found her parent smiling sadly as tears cascaded down her face. Strength dared not look her in the eye.

"I can't. Believe me, I want to be with you and Saya as well, but…I just can't." she said.

Tsuyo-sa felt her heart sink. "Why not? Why can't we be a family?"

Mustering her courage, Strength managed to face her daughter. "Because I haven't been alive for three years. Tsuyo-sa, I'm dead."

Tsuyo-sa couldn't believe it. She shook her head in denial. "No…you're alive, you're standing here with me right now!"

"I've been allowed to visit you in this place for the duration of your trial. Now that it has ended, I don't have much time left." she held up her hand. It was invisible from the wrist down. "See? I'm already beginning to fade."

"No! Please, don't go! I need you! I don't want to go back without you!"

Strength closed her eyes and smiled softly. "So stubborn…just like me…" she opened her eyes to face her daughter one last time. "I'm glad I was finally able to see you, Tsuyo-sa. I'm so proud of you."

Tsuyo-sa wrapped her arms around her father as her lower body faded into nothing. "Father…please don't leave…"

Strength swallowed back a cry of sorrow that threatened to escape. "Remember my words, Tsuyo-sa. Live well, and be safe. Who knows, maybe someday, once the worlds are safe again, I'll be able to join you and your mother. Until that time comes, know that I will always love you, my daughter."

Placing a loving kiss on her daughter's forehead, Strength faded away completely, and returned to the afterlife.

* * *

_**Evelyn**_

* * *

It was dark on the other side of the gateway. After emerging from the portal, Evelyn had found herself in a large courtyard, complete with a large white cross placed decoratively on the wall furthest from her. A pool of crystal clear water sat at the base of the cross. The tan woman had already entered her demon form after taking a few steps into the room. Wherever she was, she was more likely than not bound for a fight. Taking off her face mask, Evelyn observed her surroundings with interest. There were carvings etched into the walls of the courtyard, and something seemed quite odd about them. She realized with a start that all of the carvings were depictions of scenes from her life. As she looked over the carvings, she caught sight of a scene from the earlier moments of her life. The carving was of her, still a child, being held gently by her 'father'. Memories of days in the palace of her birth came flooding back to her, and she closed her eyes and managed a soft smile. Her father had taken good care of her, and had placed her safety in the highest priority on the day that she...that she...

**"On the day that she died."**

Evelyn opened her eyes and looked about in surprise at the sound. She scanned the courtyard, but could find no trace of anyone besides herself.

**"Oh, did I startle you? Hehehehehehehehehe!"** the voice came again. It sounded both male and female at the same time, and somehow oddly familiar.

Summoning her hooks to her hands, Evelyn ran out into the center of the courtyard.

"Who's there?" she demanded. "Show yourself!"

**"Well, aren't we feisty. But I like that, it shows me just how much you've grown over the years."** the voice let out a 'hm' of approval, as if carefully observing her. **"Oh yes, you've grown quite a bit. Such a tall and slender body, such long and brilliant lavender hair, just like your mother's, and also the same bosom she had. Yes, all very nice hehehehe!"**

Evelyn grit her teeth in annoyance. "I don't have time for games! Come out and face me, you coward!"

The voice laughed again. **"If you insist." **

It sounded very close that last time it spoke. Wheeling around in a defensive stance, Evelyn came face to face with the owner of the voice. Standing before her was a tall woman completely covered in white exoskeletal plating, with a fist sized hole in her waist just above her belly button. The demon woman also had hooves in place of feet, and a vertebrae shaped tail swung from the back of her waist. Her face was shaped like that of a skull, smiling eternally with fiery blue eyes and red pupils. The demoness's hair was composed entirely of blue flame, and it raged lightly down to just past her shoulders. Evelyn realized that the demoness looked eerily similar to her in her current form, and shot the strange creature a look of confusion. The demoness just seemed to smile wider, and narrowed its eyes at her in a mischievous fashion.

**"Yes, that's right. I'm a demon, same as you."** it said, small bursts of fire spewing from its mouth each time it opened its mouth.

"You're wrong! I am not a monster like you!" Evelyn countered.

She swung her hooks at the demoness, and to her surprise the weapons bounced off harmlessly. The demoness sighed and shook its head, and the next thing Evelyn knew, it was standing in front of her, with its fist in her gut. Evelyn spat out saliva as the force of the blow catapulted her into the wall behind her. As she struggled to get to her feet, the demoness appeared in front of her, kneeling down and watching her intently.

**"Is that any way to treat a fellow monster? If you're going to hit someone, then make sure you do it with everything you've got."** it taunted.

Evelyn responded with a punch that struck the demoness square in the face, sending it flying back.

"Like that?" taunted the tan woman as she rose.

The demoness caught its ground just before it crashed, and rose back to its full height.

**"Not bad, but you are still only using your normal strength. If you really want to hurt me, then come at me as the demon you know you are inside."**

Evelyn charged toward the demoness with her fists ready. The demoness smirked mentally before striking its own stance and charging forth to meet her. The two warriors collided, and launched into an exchange of blows. Evelyn refused to give the demoness what it wanted, and only used the bare minimum of her power. As the fight carried on, she noticed that her opponent's movements mirrored that of her own. Not only that, but it seemed to be holding back its true abilities. The demoness caught her while she was dwelling on these facts, and sent Evelyn to the ground with an elbow to the forehead.

**"Please, is that all you can do? Do you honestly hope to win the tournament with only that strength? At this rate, that pathetic weakling Hisana will surpass you."** it spat.

Evelyn ground her teeth in frustration. "Shut up!"

She rose to her feet and lunged at the demoness. It caught her fist with a minimum of effort.

**"Weak, so very weak. No wonder she's the preferred one."**

The demoness suddenly twisted Evelyn's arm, resulting in a grotesque snap as it dislocated. The tan woman swallowed her cry of pain and struck with her knee. The demoness was caught by surprise, and stumbled back a couple feet. Popping her arm back into place, Evelyn glared hatefully at her opponent. The fiery blue aura that surrounded her form grew with her anger, and now encompassed everything within two feet around her.

"Don't compare me to Hisana! If it weren't for me, she'd still be sitting back home crying in a corner!"

**"And yet she has everything. The love of the people, a bond with both her parents, and most importantly, _her _attention."** the demoness's smile seemed to grow to exponential lengths as Evelyn's aura of rage skyrocketed.

"I said..." the tan woman exploded toward her, propelled by the aura of flame. "SH**UT UP!"**

Evelyn's eyes turned a fiery blue, and the demoness widened her eyes in joy as her fist connected with her face. It began to fly back, when an aura of blue flame the same size as Evelyn's erupted around it, and it resumed its fighting stance in time to send a punch of its own at the tan woman. Evelyn's fist met her opponent's, and the blue auras that burned around them combined into one enormous column of hellfire. The demoness began to laugh hysterically.

**"Yes! I knew it all along! Deep down, you and I are exactly the same! There is no difference!"** it screamed.

Evelyn bared her teeth. **"We are not the same!"**

**"Oh, but we are! We have everything in common! THE HATRED OF THE WORLD THAT SCORNS US! THE POWER OF THE HELLFIRE THAT CONSUMES US! THE CHAINS OF THE LONELINESS THAT BINDS US!"** the demoness lowered its voice for emphasis. **"Even our love for the women who are blind to us."**

Evelyn's eyes widened in shock. **"What ar**e you-"

**"Did you really think you could hide it? Foolish child, there is nothing about you that I do not know. After all..." **the demoness's skull face began to dissolve, and its fiery blue hair disappeared. As its true face was revealed, so too was its solely feminine voice. "...you are my precious daughter, Evelyn."

Evelyn stared in disbelief at her opponent's true face. Beneath the skull mask was the face of a young woman with chestnut brown hair with an orange barrette in it, and a pair of shining amber eyes, exactly the same as Evelyn's. The woman gave a smile that was both motherly and scheming at the same time. In an instant, Evelyn realized exactly who the demoness was. A lone tear escaped her eyes.

"It can't be...father?" her tone shook with surprise, and the aura of hatred around her vanished along with her father's.

Yuu nodded slowly at her daughter as she relaxed her grip on her hands. "Yes, Evelyn. It's good to see you again."

"But...I don't understand! You...you're dead!"

"That's right. I am not among the living. What you see here is only my spirit, for I have long since left the mortal plane behind."

"Why are you here? Why did you say those things to me?"

Yuu shook her head. "Oh Evelyn...you have made me very disappointed."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember? You promised me that you would be a good girl, that you wouldn't end up like me. And yet you couldn't have followed in my footsteps any more perfectly. You are in love with the Takanashi girl, the one who so closely resembles the Mato I loved so dearly. And just like me, she has turned a blind eye to you in favor of someone else."

Evelyn averted her gaze.

Yuu sighed before continuing. "You are jealous of Hisana, because even though you have always been by her side, Shinzo still loves her instead of you. She would not hear your feelings, and so you kept them bottled up inside where no one could reach them. But what I don't understand is why you continue to keep her feelings a secret, and allow Hisana to love someone else."

"I...I just want them to be happy...they're my best friends..."

"And what of you? What about your happiness? Does that mean nothing to you?"

Evelyn glared at her father. "Of course it does!"

"Then why do you insist on hurting yourself? Why do you continue to value their happiness above your own? You know that Hisana will reject Shinzo, you know that she is unwilling to become a being of darkness like me, so why do you hesitate? Why not accept what you are, and show Shinzo your true feelings?"

Evelyn opened her mouth to reply, then fell silent. She whispered something that Yuu could not hear.

"What?"

"I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what I'll become if I accept that I am a demon, hell, more like the queen of demons considering my heritage. If I did that, then I'd truly be just as bad as you."

Yuu narrowed her eyes. "I see...so you are afraid of joining me in the depths of hell. Very well, if you will not accept your gift, then I will not force you. However, I think you'd better hear your mother's opinion before you make your final decision." Yuu looked to somewhere beyond Evelyn. "What say you, Rider?"

In shock at the mere mention of her birth mother, Evelyn turned sharply around to face a tall, busty woman clothed in black and purple, with long lavender hair and very pale violet eyes. Now Evelyn understood what her father meant by looking a lot like her mother. Rider smiled and walked toward her daughter. Evelyn could only watch as the tall woman wrapped her arms protectively around her.

"It is good to finally meet you, Evelyn." Rider said in a motherly tone.

Evelyn felt tears begin to form at the edge of her eyes as she subconsciously returned the embrace.

"Mother..." she whispered.

"I am sorry that I was never able to meet you, my daughter. I would love nothing more than to stay with you, but I cannot linger here for long. Our time is almost up."

Evelyn looked over at her mother in confusion. "What?! But why?"

"We can only see you as long as your trial remains incomplete." Yuu answered.

"Trial? I don't understand. What is this place?"

This time it was Rider who answered. "This place is called the Monastery of the Lost. It is a mysterious place between dimensions, and all who enter it must undergo a test of heart. It is a place where the secrets that lie dormant within you are either brought to light, or will cause you eternal sorrow for the remainder of your days."

"In other words, if you do not accept the truth's that you keep hidden inside you, then you will be doomed to suffer eternal sorrow when you leave this place." Yuu rephrased.

Evelyn took a moment to take it all in. She could see where this was going, and the choice that had to be made. After taking a few moments to weigh her options, she made her decision. She looked at both of her parents, who stood waiting patiently for her answer. Evelyn took a deep breath before finally speaking.

"Very well. I choose to accept my heritage, and to become a full demon."

Yuu smiled proudly, and Rider nodded.

"However," the daughter continued, "I will not reveal my feelings for Shinzo. At least, not until I can see her again."

Her parents nodded in agreement, then they both smiled and stood on either side of her. They each took one of her arms and began to lead her to the pool at the end of the courtyard. They stopped at the edge of it.

"All you have to do is walk in. Don't worry, you won't look that different than you do now, but there will definitely be some noticeable differences." Yuu said reassuringly.

"Thank you, father."

"Although we cannot follow you once you leave this place, know that we will always be watching over you, even in your darkest hours." Rider added.

"Thanks, mom. Well, I guess I'll see you later." Evelyn took one last look at the beings who brought her into existence before stepping into the water.

The moment the water passed over her head, she began to change. Her ears grew long and pointed, and the tail at her waist straightened and ignited a small blue flame on its tip. Her eyes remained amber, but a pair of ram like horns grew from the top of her head, circling around her long ears and through her long hair. Her transformation completed, Evelyn gently closed her eyes as a sudden drowsiness overtook her, and she departed from the Monastery.

* * *

**21 Guardians Remaining...**

**(the guardians in chapters 10 and 11 are not a part of the tournament)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Shadows of the Past (pt. 2)**

* * *

**Monastery of the Lost, Rooftop…**

* * *

_**Yasha**_

* * *

The demigod of melancholy observed his new surroundings with careful interest. He was standing on the flat roof of what appeared to be an enormous monastery, for he could see cross-shaped patterns in the railing of the roof edge and a large bell tower standing on one end. Finding no one besides himself on the roof, Yasha sighed and began to walk. After traversing some distance, he noticed a small figure clothed in an elaborate blue and white robe with long black hair standing with its back to him not far away. Despite only seeing their back, Yasha instantly recognized the figure, and froze in place as confusion and regret struck him.

"Mithra?" he asked quietly.

The young girl turned around to face him with her violet eyes. She looked just like she had the last time he had seen her. She smiled fondly up at him.

"It's good to see you, Uncle." Mithra said.

"I don't understand…what are you doing here? Didn't your father save you?"

"He did…and lost his life in the process. He gave up his life to kill Chakravartin and rescue me."

"I see…that certainly does sound like Asura." he sighed at the memory of his brother in-law. "You didn't answer my first question."

Mithra nodded. "I know. I'm here because I have passed on, just like you and father. I've been dead for so long now…that I've come to realize something very important about you, Uncle." she glared abnormally at him.

"Mithra?" she _never_ glared.

"During those long, awful twelve and a half thousand years that Deus held me captive to create more mantra (a kind of spiritual power in Asura's Wrath), you had countless chances to save me. But why didn't you?"

Yasha paused. He averted his gaze, too wracked with guilt to meet his niece's eyes.

"I was…certain…that our cause was absolute. I knew that you suffered, especially after Deus slew Asura right in front of you. But I believed that although our actions were not the purest, that the justice our cause would serve would be worth the cruelty we enacted on the humans and you. I know now that I was wrong, and have regretted not coming to your aid sooner."

Mithra shook her head at her uncle. "Do you honestly think I can forgive you after what happened? You let them take me, you let them kill father! You said so yourself, you don't deserve to be called my uncle!"

Yasha looked back at his niece in shock. Such an outburst was unlike her.

"It's time you pay for your crimes! Father, destroy him!"

Yasha could only watch as a man sized being with pitch black skin did a superhuman leap over Mithra and come crashing down on top of him. Holding back a cry of pain, Yasha looked up to see a familiar pair of angry eyes glaring at him, along with a mouth that sat eternally open, giving him a clear view of the deadly energy boiling within the creature.

"Asura?!" Yasha exclaimed.

**"YAAAAAAAAASHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"** the monster bellowed.

Berserker Asura grabbed his brother by the head and tossed him towards the end of the rooftop. The demigod reached out and grabbed hold of the ground with a hand in time to keep himself from slamming into the railing. Steadying himself, Yasha struck his combat stance in preparation for the grisly battle that was sure to follow.

"Consumed by your anger yet again...how typical." He bolted forward. "Even in death, you do not change!"

The demigod of wrath unleashed a terrible beastly roar and charged to meet his brother. Both fighters swung at each other with fury. Yasha's blows were as quick and powerful as usual, but did little to the behemoth of Asura's berserker form. The rage fueled monster roared again and proceeded to relentlessly beat Yasha to the floor. The melancholic demigod sank deeper and deeper into the concrete with each blow, and felt his consciousness rapidly slipping away from him. Asura stopped beating him just when he was on the verge of passing out, but kept a fist ready to strike the final blow. Mithra walked over and glared at her uncle's mangled form with cruel pity.

"You always were the weaker one." she muttered. "Now, it is time for you to return to the land of the dead. Farewell, Uncle."

Asura roared and descended his fist.

"Not yet!"

The berserker and Mithra both paused in surprise. Yasha, hanging on to his life by threads, had managed to stop Asura's fist in mid swing. The dark haired demigod slowly began to rise to his feet, still holding back his brother's arm.

"I know...that I cannot be forgiven...but..." he glared with all of the fury that raged within him at his family. "I cannot die now!"

The markings on Yasha's body began to glow a brilliant blue as he went into unlimited mode, and he yelled in anger before sending a powerful kick that sent Asura flying far away. As the wrathful berserker crashed into the floor of the roof, he reverted back to his original form.

"I made a promise...that I would not repeat my mistake. Not again!" he clenched his hand into a fist and held it high. "I have returned to life, and I intend to use my strength as I once did, to protect Gaea, no, to protect the multiverse from the evil that threatens it!"

Mithra stared at her uncle in shock for a time. The demigod's eyes were filled to the brim with resolution as he announced his vow, and a smile crept onto her face.

"Well done, Uncle. Never forget that promise, nor the one to whom you made it." she whispered.

Slowly, Mithra and Asura began to fade from existence, along with the rest of the world. As all became dark, Yasha collapsed in exhaustion. He had conquered his trial.

* * *

_**Hisana**_

* * *

The young vampiress was more than surprised to find herself separated from her companions and suddenly standing in a large circular room with stained glass windows, each of which displayed a scene from her life. Hisana slowly circled the room observing the scenes displayed in the windows with great interest. She stopped at a painting depicting her, Axel, and Evelyn walking side by side. Smiling at the memory depicted in the scene, she continued to walk across the room. She stopped once again at an image of her parents standing with her and her sister in their arms, still newborns at the time. Despite the sweet intention of the image, she found herself distracted by an oddity that suddenly appeared. Standing just behind her birth mother was a shadowy figure whose features were unrecognizable, but was shaped in nearly the exact same way as her birth mother. As she was staring at the strange figure, she felt a faint presence place itself on her shoulder.

**"Curious, isn't it? Whoever could that mysterious figure be, I wonder?"** said a voice that sounded very familiar.

Hisana whipped around, expecting to see her birth mother's smiling face. What she saw was...very strange. The pale woman resting her hand on her shoulder did have the same face as Ebony, but the rest of her looked completely different. The woman was clothed in a white kimono with black flower like patterns, and her long white hair hung at just beyond her waist. But what was most intriguing was the woman's red/violet eyes, which seemed to stare into the very depths of her soul.

"Who...who are you?" asked Hisana.

The woman tilted her head and smiled at her. **"What's this? Don't you recognize your own mother when you see her?"**

Hisana stared at the woman in even more confusion. "What are you talking about? You're not my mother."

"No Hisana, she's telling the truth." came a voice slightly higher and more recognizable than the pale woman's.

Hisana turned her head to find her real mother standing on the other side of her, with her gaze directed sorrowfully at the floor. Ebony looked up to meet her daughter's eyes, and looked redy to burst into tears.

"She is your mother, and so am I. Both of us carried you, both of us gave birth to you."

Hisana looked back and forth between the two women, horribly confused.

"I don't understand! Who is she? And how can both of you be my mother?"

The white haired woman rolled her eyes and stepped back so that she was standing in front of Hisana.

**"Look, here's how it is. Ebony over there, the woman you know as your mother, has another side of herself, another personality that is made up of everything she despises most about herself, but may become if she falls into despair. I am that other side, her opposite, Ivory."** she explained.

"Anything that happened to me, also affected Ivory." Ebony continued. "When I was pregnant with you and Shinzo, she must have seen it as an opportunity to try and escape into our world by being reborn as one of you. Because of that, both you and Shinzo ended up looking almost exactly like her. Your eyes are one of the many traits you inherited from her."

Hisana looked at her reflection in one of the windows, then looked at Ivory. Ebony had spoken the truth, they were nearly identical.

"Wait...one of the traits? But the only similarity I can see between us is our eye color."

Ebony dropped her gaze to the floor. "That's because Yomi and I put an enchantment on you to hide your real appearance, for fear of what would become of you should you remain like Ivory. I didn't want you becoming a sadistic and psychopathic monster like her."

Ivory huffed and let out a sarcastic laugh. **"If I recall, this 'monster' is the reason you were able to live to be a parent. Face it Ebony, without me you would've perished a long time ago."**

Ebony sighed. "See what I mean?"

All of this new information was taking time to sink in to Hisana, and though she accepted most of it, she was still horribly confused.

"I still don't understand, why are the two of you here?" Hisana asked.

Ivory smirked. **"You'll find out soon enough."** the counterpart glanced at Ebony. **"Shall we begin the trial?"****  
**

"Yes, I believe it is time." Ebony nodded.

"Trial? What trial?"

With that, Ivory's smirk grew into a maniacal smile, and she began to laugh insanely as a great surge of dark energy burst from her body, shattering the windows of the circular room. A black cloud of shadow enveloped Ivory as swirling streams of fire, ice, and darkness raged about outside the room. The cloud of shadows dispersed, revealing Ivory's true form. The white haired woman now wore a full suit of shining azure armor, and her eyes were now glowing an ethereal red. In her hand she held a massive and wicked looking black sword with an angry, and living, yellow eye placed near the hilt. Across the room, Ebony had laos undergone a change of appearance. The gentle and motherly form Hisana had come to love now had skin as pale as her counterpart, and wore a long black sleeveless jacket with a star on the back, black bandages over her small chest, short shorts, knee high combat boots, and fingerless black gloves. She held a pure white katana with a ribbon on its hilt in one hand, and a black katana with a white outer edge in the other. Blue flame burned out of Ebony's left eye as she met the gaze of her counterpart. Hisana found herself once again glancing back and forth at the two warriors, amazed by the power they displayed with only their presence.

**"Look well, my daughter! This is what we truly are! Warriors, bred for combat and annihilation! With our powers in your hands, you and Shinzo could bring forth limitless destruction! You could shape this entire multiverse to your will! Hahahahahahahahaahahahahaha!"** Ivory declared hysterically.

"What she says is true, Hisana." Ebony continued. "If you so wished, the powers of light and dark within you and your sister could bring the worlds to their knees. However, I would have you use them for a more noble purpose, to liberate the multiverse and put an end to Marluxia and his tournament."

Despite the overwhelming power coming from the two warriors, Hisana managed to remain standing and processed their words. Now there was only one thing left to know.

"You have shown me the secrets of my birth, and revealed to me the power that lies within me. For that, I am thankful. But still I don;t understand, what is this trial that you mentioned?"

Ebony stepped forth to respond. "Your desire is to win the tournament so that you can resurrect me and Yomi. While I am glad that you wish to rejoin our family, I must also warn you of the consequences. That is why Ivory has appeared alongside me. By bringing me back to life, you will also be reviving her. Now that your powers have begun to manifest, it will be even harder for me to keep her at bay."

**"If Ebony returns, then I may also be able to receive a physical form in your world. Knowing this, will you still pursue your wish? Will you continue to strive for the reunion of our family, even at the risk of bringing me into your world?"** Ivory finished.

Hisana paused to think on her decision. The risks were now clear to her, and she did indeed fear what chaos could ensue if Ivory did manifest. There was also the passion in her heart that longed to be reunited with her parents, and even though she hid it well, Hisana could tell that there was more to Ivory than pure evil. It seemed as though her dark personality was less of a natural occurrence and more of a result of what she could only guess was...loneliness. The look in the counterpart's eyes seemed more empty than cruel. Having made her decision, Hisana cleared her throat to address the other occupants of the room.

"I have listened to your words, and I acknowledge the risks. However, I will still continue to pursue my wish to make our family whole again." she looked over at Ivory and smiled. "And if you do become whole, then perhaps you won't be as cold and cruel as you make others believe."

Ivory stared in genuine surprise at the young girl. A look of respect and approval spread across her face, and she nodded. **"If that is your final decision, then your trial has ended. Go now, and rejoin your companions."** then she added with a smirk. **"I look forward to meeting you again soon, Hisana. Just try not to get your hopes up about me."**

As the spirits of Ebony and Ivory began to fade along with the room Hisana began to lose consciousness, one last thought crossed her mind. _There is good in you, Ivory. I can feel it._ The world faded, and Hisana drifted to sleep as she was cast away from the Monastery.

* * *

**_Shinzo_**

* * *

The eldest Takanashi twin looked around at her surroundings with interest. She was currently standing on what appeared to be a balcony overlooking the main hall of a massive cathedral, with a pedestal containing a small pool of water sitting at the back of the balcony. Shinzo walked around the balcony, a pair of her demonic longswords already drawn. Suddenly, she felt a new presence enter the room, and turned to see a tall man with short black hair and blue eyes wearing only a leather jacket on top and a pair of white pants, with a humongous silver zweihander slung across the back of his waist. The man stared sympathetically at Shinzo as she entered her combat stance.

"Who are you? Are you another one of Marluxia's guardians?" she demanded.

The man sighed and shook his head. "No, I do not serve that nobody. I am however, still a guardian in this place. My name, is Kurai Shosetsuka."

At hearing the word Shosetsuka, Shinzo tightened the grip on her swords. "Shosetsuka? As in the man who can see the fate of others? The same person who-"

"Informed Alucard of your terrible future, yes."

"Bastard, aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"I am dead. But the Monastery has temporarily resurrected my spirit so that I may begin your trial."

"Monastery? Trial? WHat the hell are you talking about?"

Kurai shook his head. "You will see soon enough."

Without warning, Kurai dashed over to Shinzo with insane speed, and clamped his hand tightly around her head. Before she could try to react, he then put a hand against his own head and closed his eyes. Shinzo suddenly felt an intense burning sensation inside her mind, and began to cry out in pain.

"Child who has become lost to the darkness, I shall open your eyes to the light once more! Look now upon the fate that has been written for you!" Kurai declared.

In the next instant, Shinzo found herself standing alone in an endless black void. Ghostly images began to appear and disappear around her. She one image of her and Hisana standing across form each other, then in the next she was straddling her now topless younger sister. Then, and image of Shinzo standing beside a silhouetted woman who was with child appeared. While she was still in shock at the scene, an even more terrifying image immediately replaced it. Now there was hellfire raging all around her, with broken and bloodied corpses laying about for miles on end. In the center of it all stood a little girl with long white hair that was streaked with some other indistinguishable color. The child's left eye was a mixture of both green and blue, the right was hidden under a lock of hair. The child turned its head to Shinzo and smiled sweetly. It held out its arms to Shinzo, one of which was twisted and covered in spikes.

"Papa, come play with me..." the girl said in an innocent voice. "Come and play with Ryunoko..."

Shinzo stood horrified at the sight of the child who had obviously caused all of this horrible destruction. She covered her eyes with her hands and screamed.

"No more! Make it stop! I don't want to see anymore!" she cried.

The devastated world began to fade, and the child once again called out to her.

"Papa! Please, don't leave! Don't-"

The child was cut short as Shinzo was returned to the balcony in the Monastery, where she fell to her hands and knees in front of Kurai. The tall man gazed down at her in pity.

"What...what the fuck was that?!" Shinzo stammered.

"What you just saw is the future that awaits you if you continue to pursue a relationship with Hisana." he paused as he saw grief spread across her face. "You saw her, didn't you? Ryunoko, the child of destruction."

"That girl...Ryunoko...is she...?"

"Yes. She is _**your daughter**."_

Shinzo remained as she was for a time, still taking in everything she had just seen. It was clear that the child had been near all of the death and destruction she had just witnessed, but if that was so then why had she seemed so sad until she saw Shinzo? And her voice...there was not a trace of cruelty in it. It was almost as if the girl had been searching for her, longing to find her parent. But she had called Shinzo her father, and the pregnant woman she had seen before couldn't be identified. What's more...who's to say that anything she just saw was real? For all she knew, the man called Shosetsuka could just be another one of the many who didn't approve of her desire. Anger and hatred now coursing through her, Shinzo rose and slashed at the tall man. Kurai dodged the strike expertly, and landed on his feet some five feet away. Shinzo glared at him with all the fury she had.

"Lies...all of it, lies! Something so horrible cannot be my future! You're just trying to sw**ay me, just like everyone else!"**

Kurai narrowed his eyes at the vampiress. "I have shown you what will come to pass, and still you persist? Very well, if you will not heed my words, then perhaps you will listen to hers."

Before Shinzo could respond, a third presence entered the room. Turning to the side, she thought she saw Hisana standing near her. However, Hisana did not have curved vertebrae like horns, and nor did she have green eyes underneath a pair of glasses, or a pair of jagged wings protruding from her back. It was not her sister who had appeared before her, it was her father, Yomi Takanashi.

**"Father."** Shinzo said without the slightest hint of emotion.

Yomi stared sadly at her oldest daughter. "Shinzo...what happened to you? What happened to my kind and selfless little girl?"

Shinzo averted her gaze. **"I'm not a child anymore, father. You would never understand me now..."**

"What? You mean I wouldn't understand you falling in love with your sister? Your own little sister for god's sake! Shinzo, I thought I raised you to be better than this!"

**"Better than what? A freak? Well too bad! I love her, and that's never going to change!"**

Yomi's eyes went downcast. "What did I do wrong...how did you end up like this?"

Shinzo's hate filled gaze softened a bit. **"It's not your fault. You never did anything wrong. In my eyes, you are still the best father anyone could ask for. My feelings for Hisana simply came about on their own, regardless of how you raised me."**

Yomi looked back at her daughter. "Shinzo, please stop this. Please don't go down that road any further, it'll only hurt you in the end."

The lost hatred returned in an instant. **"I figured you wouldn't try to support me. After all, what kind of parent would approve of their children being attracted to each other?"**

"But that's just it! Shinzo, she doesn't love you that way! Hisana would never love you the way you love her! Don't you see? You can't pursue your feelings for her because they'll never be returned! No matter what you do, Hisana will only see you as a sister, nothing more!"

Shinzo paused, then intensified her glare. **"So that's it, then? You refuse to believe we can be together as lovers, no matter what?"**

Yomi returned the glare and nodded. "It can never happen."

**"Fine. If that is how you truly feel, then as of now, everyone, including you father..."** an immense aura of red energy engulfed Shinzo. **"ALL OF YOU ARE MY ENEMIES!"**

When the young vampiress emerged from the storm of red energy, aside from her face, her entire body had become corrupted. Now Shinzo's arms and legs were covered in spikes, and her feet and hands now had wicked claws in place of fingers and toes. Her hair had become long and white, a sort of bone like biological armor had formed over her chest and waist, and her eyes radiated an ethereal red glow. Her longswords no longer resembled a fusion of flesh and metal, they now appeared to be made solely of red, demonic flesh, and now each blade had a living yellow eye embedded just above the hilt. Shinzo let out an inhuman roar, and what looked like a red crystal revealed itself in the center of her chest, woven between strands of flesh. Yomi stared in horror at her transformed daughter, while Kurai sighed deeply with regret.

"Shinzo...what have you become?!" Yomi cried.

"It's no use, Takanashi. Your daughter is gone, only a malfested monstrosity remains now." Kurai said solemnly.

The tall man took a step forward and raised his fists. "The only thing we can do now is fight."

Yomi looked reluctantly at the man, then back at her daughter. Shinzo glared at her with as much hatred as she did Kurai, but Yomi saw something else in those eyes. Pain. Pain from being rejected by her family because of her feelings, pain from realizing that she was truly alone in her cause, pain from her refusal to accept the truth, no matter how many times she heard it. Hesitantly, Yomi held out her hand and summoned her scythe.

"I'm sorry Shinzo...but you leave me no choice!" she declared through tears of regret.

Shinzo merely screamed in response before charging to meet her foes. The malfested vampiress was brutal and relentless in her attacks, and to their surprise both Yomi and Kurai found themselves struggling to keep up with Shinzo's rapidly increasing speed and strength. Both spirits managed to dodge a strike that had been aimed at both of them, and swung with fist and scythe. A pair of Shinzo's longswords flew from their place at her side and blocked the blows. Yomi and Kurai leapt back in surprise, as the third pair joined the other in the air around Shinzo. The malfested girl glared at her opponents and rushed them again, this time striking with all of her blades simultaneously. Realizing they needed to quickly end this battle, Kurai drew his sword, Misery. Seeing an opening, he slashed at the girl's head. Shinzo tried to lean out of the path of the weapon, but could not escape the reach the large blade. Misery retracted after failing to decapitate its target, and instead had left a bloody cut along Shinzo's right cheek that now had smoke rising from the wound. Due to the anti-demon nature of Kurai's sword, the wound would never fully heal. Shinzo reacted to the injury by doubling her efforts to kill her opponents. Two of her blades split away from her to face Yomi, while she focused the other four on Kurai. The tall man, despite his many hundred more years of experience in combat, could not keep up with the relentless onslaught, and to his surprise soon found his sword cut into four pieces by Ryuketsu no Bara. Shinzo roared violently as she drove not her swords, but her clawed hands into Kurai's chest. The tall demigod coughed up a fair amount of blood, then felt his torso torn from his waist and saw no more. Shinzo then directed her attention toward Yomi, who was still dueling with her swords. Now able to focus all of her might on one target alone, Shinzo quickly overpowered her father and in one swift movement, ran her through with the blades in her hands. Yomi looked her daughter in regret as she hung suspended by Shinzo's swords.

"I'm...(cough)...so sorry...Shinzo..." she weakly put her bloodstained hand on her daughter's cheek. "(cough) I'm sorry...you became...like this...(cough)...I hope...you're happy...now..."

The older vampiress's hand fell from her daughter's cheek as she went limp. Shinzo watched as the shadow of her father, that she herself had impaled on the end of her swords, slowly faded into nothing. For a short moment, Shinzo felt terrible regret for what she had just done. It was the last thing she felt before exhaustion overtook her and she collapsed as the Monastery sent her away.

* * *

**Unknown Location, meanwhile...**

* * *

The azure knight was barely able to keep himself from bursting out in triumphant laughter as he watched Soul Edge glow and shake wildly in his grasp. At long last, the fragment that was missing had shown its true power, and he knew exactly where to find it. Smiling maniacally under his helmet, Nightmare rose from his quarters to seek out Marluxia.

**"The time has finally come. Very soon now, Soul Edge, you will be restored to your true potential. And then, we can escape these bonds. HeheheHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH AHA!"**

* * *

**21 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will leave a review. I have an announcement to make: for the next month or so, I will have little to no time to work on this story, as I have much work to do in real life. I promise I will get back to this story as soon as I can, so that this tale of madness can continue. Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Another Side, Another Fate**

* * *

**Unknown Location, some time after…**

* * *

_**Rikxaga**_

* * *

Darkness. That was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. Everywhere I looked, it was dark. I felt weightless, as though floating through empty space. Then I felt the cold of the darkness around me. It was as if I were naked in the midst of a terrible blizzard, unshielded to the elements. I was very cold, and very alone. Then, before I knew what was happening, a brilliant and blinding light cut through the darkness and shone all around me. The light felt warm, so I reached out to it, hoping to pull it towards me. But then, just as I began to get close to the light, a sudden burning sensation coursed through my head, and images were flung into my mind. I saw a much younger version of myself sitting in a room with a doll in my lap and a bright smile on my face. Another girl whose face was hidden by light sat beside me in the room, smiling just as brightly. Just then, I watched myself scoot over to the other girl and take her hands in mine. The other girl looked up at the other me in confusion, and the other me smiled.

"I love you so much." Other-me said. She wrapped her arms around the unknown girl tightly. "We'll always be together, right ****?"

For some reason, I couldn't quite make out the unknown girl's name, and I didn't get another chance. Right after the other me had finished talking, something yanked me away from the light, and back into the cold of the dark.

"Let me go!" I pleaded. "What was that? What did I just see?"

"**There will be another time, old friend."** a vaguely familiar female voice said from somewhere all around me.** "But for now, it is time for you to wake up. Your allies are waiting for you."**

The light vanished, and all that remained was darkness. I let out a scream and reached out for it, and suddenly found myself in a completely different place. Now I was in a large white room with a soft bed, a dresser, and a vanity table and mirror. I looked about the room and sighed. _Another nightmare…I really hope superior finds out what's wrong with me soon._ I thought as I stood up and headed for the dresser. I reached inside and took out my underthings, and then my black cloak as soon as those were on. It had been a week since I encountered the strong tan woman who was undoubtedly the cause of my nightmares. The moment my eyes met hers, I began to see terrible visions, many of which depicted some other girl with the same eyes as the tan woman having their way with me. Since then, I haven't been able to get a decent night's sleep. Once I finished getting dressed, I made my way to the door leading to the rest of this strange place I called home. Outside my room I saw a tall man in similar attire to me reclining against the wall of the hallway. He had short dark hair and light blue eyes, and he smiled fondly at me as I approached him.

"Good morning, Ikxaru." I said plainly to the man as I walked past him.

Although I did not see it, I knew he was rolling his eyes at me like he always does. Ikxaru is my closest friend, and a fellow nobody. He's the only person I can stand talking to in this place full of weirdoes and power hungry maniacs, aside from the superior of course. It didn't take him long to catch up to me, considering I was little more than half his size and didn't walk nearly as fast as he could.

"Morning, Rikxaga. You feeling any better?" he asked.

"A little. I'm still having those strange dreams…and this last one was weirder than the rest."

Ikxaru hmmmed and rubbed his lightly bearded chin in thought. "I wonder if they could mean anything, your dreams."

"It's probably nothing." I said dismissively. I didn't like talking about my dreams, since most of them were quite awful. "So, what orders does superior have for us today?"

"He didn't say. He just told me to come get you, and that he had some very important news. He looked pretty excited, so it must be something big."

He was probably right, since the superior was rarely ever excited about anything besides his grand tournament that he was always busy running. Eventually Ikxaru and I arrived at Marluxia's laboratory, where he was waiting for us with a smirk on his face.

"Good, you're finally here." he said in his usual intelligent tone. "Come in, there's something I want to show you."

Marluxia opened the door and lead us inside his lab. We walked past his desk, which was strewn with research documents and a journal. I noticed one of the documents had the words 'nobody replication process' on it. Before I could bring it up with Marluxia, we arrived at a door on the opposite end of the study portion of his lab. He glanced back at us with a mischievous smirk before gesturing for us to follow him inside the other room. Ikxaru and I exchanged a confused look before entering. What awaited us inside the other room was definitely not something I had expected. Marluxia stood in the center of a large room with a few couches and furniture, upon which a group of ten figures of varying sizes sat or stood by. Everyone one of the strange figures wore a black organization cloak like me, Ikxaru and the superior. Marluxia gestured toward the occupants of the room with his arms.

"Ikxaru, Rikxaga, allow me to introduce your new allies, the remaining members of the New Organization." he said proudly.

I glanced around at the other nobodies. Some had their hoods up, while others had theirs down.

"Everyone, these people are No. 2, Ikxaru, and No. 3, Rikxaga. They will be training you from this day forth. Now introduce yourselves, if you would be so kind."

The group nodded, and one by one walked toward us.

"I am No. 5. My name is Xetsera." she is a tall woman with pale blonde hair and silver eyes. She wore a choker with a strange marking on it.

"No. 7, Esudx." he is a dark skinned man with white hair and a large nose.

"I'm No. 10, Mokxoti." she is a short girl with black hair tied into twin pigtails and yellow cat like eyes.

"I'm Axim, No. 8." she is a busty young woman with reddish orange hair and violet eyes. Mokxoti always stood fairly close to her.

"What's up? I'm No. 6, Akaxi." she is a young woman with short black hair and bright orange eyes.

Now the shyer members were forced to remove their hoods as they approached us. The first to reveal themselves was a strange looking humanoid creature with dark skin, reptilian eyes, and four mandibles lined with razor sharp teeth in place of a regular mouth. He held out a four-fingered hand to me.

"Greetings. I am called Lehxt, and have been designated No. 12." he said in a deep voice as I shook his hand.

"Hello there, young lady. I'm Xeranov, No. 13." she is a beautiful woman with dark hair and light purple eyes.

The next hooded member approached. By the shape of its body, the nobody seemed to be a male. However, he made no effort to remove his hood, or make much of a response. The only thing we really got out of him was a low and inhuman growl that sounded like 'hi'. For some reason, the room felt awfully hot when he was close to us.

"It's best that he doesn't remove his hood unless it's necessary." Marluxia explained. "He is No. 4, and his name is Roxfienn."

The next member was less awkward, though for some reason he had a helmet with a vertical purple visor in the center underneath his hood, so I couldn't make out his features.

"My name is Thryx, I am No. 11." he said in a robotic voice.

Ikxaru and I shook his armored hands and turned our attention to the last of our new comrades. This person was a little taller than me, and looked a little more endowed in the chest region as well. She didn't remove her hood until she was standing right in front of me. She had beautiful green eyes that sat behind a pair of glasses, and she had green hair that hung in two long curls over her shoulders. For some reason, I felt a strange feeling build up in my chest at the sight of the girl, a feeling unlike any I had felt before. She smiled shyly before holding out her hand to introduce herself.

"My name is Oxymi, and I'm No. 9. Pleased to meet you." she said in a quiet and melodious voice.

I smiled gladly and shook her hand. "The pleasure is all mine, Oxymi. I look forward to-"

The instant my hand touched hers, that familiar burning sensation went through my head again, causing me to cry out in pain as I collapsed to my knees. Ikxaru was at my side in an instant.

"Oh, not again! Rikxy, what's wrong?" he demanded.

"Did-did I do something wrong?" Oxymi stuttered fearfully.

I ignored the pain and looked at her. "No…its not…gah!...your fault…it just…hrn!...happens…"

"Ikxaru, get her back to her room!" Marluxia ordered.

My friend picked me up without a second thought and carried me to my quarters. His worried expression was the last thing I saw before the pain became unbearable and I passed out.

* * *

I was once again floating through a cold and endless darkness, alone. Just like the last time, the light appeared to warm me. I tried harder to reach for it than before, and once again I was given more visions. This time I saw a version of myself the same age as I am now, sitting in a wheelchair with a doll in my lap. I had this strange, emotionless glare on me, and it was directed at another girl. The girl my other self was staring at bore a striking resemblance to Oxymi, only her hair was black instead of green. Other than that, she looked just like my new ally. The girl ran over to the other me with tearful eyes before wrapping her arms around me.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, ******! I promise, I won't let you get hurt again! I'll take care of you!" she said through her tears.

It seems names are still indistinguishable. The other me smiled cruelly and put her hands on the girl's head.

"Then stay with me, ****. Always stay with ******." she said before lifting the girl's head up. "Don't worry, because ****** loves you so much, I'll forgive you."

The scene shifted, and now the other me and the green eyed girl were sitting in a room playing with dolls. The green eyed girl looked depressed, even though she was smiling.

"****, is something wrong?" other me asked.

The green eyed girl paused. "******, you know you don't need that wheelchair, right?"

Other me was taken aback. "Wh-what are you saying?"

"Your legs aren't broken, I know they aren't. So please, stop pretending. You know, I would like it if we could go outside and play every once in a while..."

"Why would you want to do that? Going outside is scary!"

"******..."

Other me's gaze turned to one of anger. "Do you hate me?"

"No, I-"

"Do you not want to be with ****** anymore?"

"That's not what I'm saying!"

"Don't lie to me!"

The other me suddenly sprang forward and pinned the green eyed girl to the ground. The girl stared back at other me in fear.

"******?"

Although she tried to keep up an angry glare, other me's expression turned to one of grief, and she let out a cry of anguish before tightly hugging the girl beneath her. The girl stared at the other me in confusion as she began to softly cry.

"Please...don't leave me ****...I don't want to be alone..." other me sobbed.

The vision ended after that, and the light vanished.

"Wait, come back! I want to see more!" I begged as the darkness closed around me.

**"All in good time, my friend. All in good time."** the strange voice from before said.

Like last time, I awoke immediately after hearing the voice. The dampness of my sheets and pillow told me that all the excitement of my dreams had caused me to sweat like crazy. Sighing heavily, I sat up and wiped the drowsiness from my eyes. _Another weird dream._ I thought. _But who were those girls? Why couldn't I hear their names? And...why did one of them look exactly like me?_

* * *

After getting another inspection from the superior, who still couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, I was ordered to meet with Ikxaru in the training facilities. The others were waiting for us there, standing in a tightly formed line. As senior members of the New Organization, Ikxaru and I had been tasked with training the new recruits. Since there were ten of them, we decided to each take five members. I got first pick, so I walked down the line, taking a good look at each of the recruits. Despite the fact that most of them were much taller than me, I saw a few of them sweating anxiously as I wlaked past them. I came to a stop in front of the recruit I really wanted to see. Oxymi looked at me for a moment, then gazed down at the floor shamefully. she bowed her head in offering for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, sempai." she muttered quietly.

I smiled at her gesture. "About what? You didn't do anything wrong."

She looked up at me in confusion. "But, because of me you-"

I shook my head and held up a hand for her to stop. "Don't worry, that just happens to me sometimes. It was just bad timing, that's all." seeing her perk up a bit, I gave her a mischievous smirk. "In fact, I want you to be one my first student."

"R-really?"

For some reason, I almost squealed in delight at seeing how cute she looked when she stuttered. "Yes, really."

She smiled brightly with her mouth open. _She's like a little kid...and a cute one at that._ I found myself thinking as she stepped away from the line. A few minutes later, and I had selected the rest of my students. Including Oxymi, I was to train Akaxi, Xetsera, Lehxt, and Esudx. I decided to give my students the rest of the day to relax, and said that I would train them the next day. When it was time for their training to begin, the first thing I had my students do was call upon their weapons, that way I would be able to work out the best way to teach them. It took them a bit to materialize their weapons, but I was quite pleased with the results when they did. Akaxi was able to call forth an elegant blue halberd, Xetsera had a large claymore that had a marking identical to the one on her choker, Lehxt wielded two dual bladed swords that were held horizontally instead of vertically, and Esudx got large golden nunchuks. Oxymi seemed to be having the most trouble manifesting her weapon, so I went over to help her out.

"Having trouble?" I said as she sighed in defeat.

"Sorry sempai, I just can't seem to get it to work." Oxymi replied.

I sighed lightly and and walked up behind her. She let out a startled gasp when she felt me press against her and put my hands on her arms.

"Just relax. Rikxaga will help you to do it." I said comfortingly.

She nodded shyly and relaxed her muscles.

"Good. Now, the way to summon your weapon usually has to do with how your weapon is held. Basically, you need to get your hands in the right position before you call it, or them out."

I began placing her arms in different positions, hoping to get her weapon to appear soon. The others were already practicing with their weapons, swinging them about here and there. I noticed Oxymi glance in their direction with envy, and for some reason it made me very upset to see her saddened like this.

"Hey, don't worry. It's not really as easy as it looks. It actually took me longer to get my weapons than it did for Ikxaru."

My words didn't seem to have any effect, so I decided to try something else. Without warning, I lightly stroked the sides of Oxymi's chest in a sensual manner. The greenette responded by letting out a high pitched yelp and retracting her arms toward her chest. She turned around to face me with reddened cheeks.

"S-S-Sempai, w-what was that for?" she stuttered.

I was just about to respond when I took notice of something in front of her and froze.

"Sempai?"

"Oxymi...look in front of you." I whispered.

She obeyed, and gasped as her eyes followed my gaze. Resting in her hands was a long and wickedly curved black scythe with vertebrae like decorations just under the scythe blade. Oxymi had one hand held just above her chest, while the other sat diagonally across from it below her breast. She looked at the scythe in her hands, speechless at her sudden success. The others quickly took notice of her weapon and strode over to congratulate her. As they gave her words of praise, she looked over at me with immense gratitude.

"Thank you, sempai!" she told me with a smile.

"What're you talking about? Rikxaga isn't the one who put such a great weapon in your hands. That was all you, Oxymi. Well done." I said, returning the smile.

I gave her the chance to try out her new weapon for a bit before we decided to call it a day. Soon after, Ikxaru and I were walking down the hall to my room. I was still beaming with pride from earlier, which did not go unnoticed by my tall companion.

"Well, well, you look pretty happy for a change." he said snidely.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said sarcastically.

He laughed. "You did good, Rikxy. I think you'll make a great teacher. And judging by the look of things..." he glanced behind us at Oxymi, who was currently entering her room. "...that girl thinks so too."

"Heh, I guess you're right."

"Course I am! I'm always right!"

I shook my head at him playfully, then we parted ways and he left for his quarters. I quietly entered my room and got ready for bed. Yawning, I got under my covers, mentally prepared myself for what was sure to come, closed my eyes, and slowly drifted off to sleep. Just as I expected, I was immediately thrust into the dark void when I opened my eyes in my dream. Only this time, something was different. Now there was a deep gash in the darkness, with light shining through it. However, when I got close to it and felt its warmth, it did not show me visions or start to disappear. It did, however, display a single image: that of the girl who resembled Oxymi.

**"It's finally begun..."**

I turned around to face the owner of the voice, and found myself staring at a small ball of blue flame that hovered in front of me. I stared at the flame in confusion before it did something that made me back away in fear. A pair of bright amber eyes appeared in front of the flame, the same eyes that belonged to the girl from my nightmares. But something was different about the way those eyes looked at me. Instead of sadistic pleasure, the amber orbs now gazed on me with mixed regret and relief.

**"It's finally begun..."** the flame repeated.

"What has begun?" I asked.

**"You're beginning to remember."**

"Remember? Remember what?"

The eyes of the flame stared at me intensely. **"Tell me, what is your name?"**

"My name? Well obviously it's..." I paused. For some reason, I momentarily forgot who I was. "Rik...xaga."

The flame closed its eyes and made a sound that sounded like a sigh. **"So you still don't know..."**

"Eh? What are you talking about? I told you, my name is Rikxaga."

**"No...that is a lie. There is no Rikxaga, there never was."**

I grit my teeth in frustration. "You'd better start telling me what the hell's going on here, or-"

All of a sudden, the flame turned from a ball into the silhouette of a burning young girl, with an immense aura of blue flame surrounding them.

**"Or you'll what? Please, do tell me."**

Despite the fact that I was utterly terrified at the display of power, I chose not to give in and glared straight at the shadow.

""Who are you? Why do I keep having these strange dreams?"

**"The question you should really ask is not who I am,"** the shadow lifted a flaming finger to point at me. **"But who are you?"**

"Stop talking nonsense!"

The shadow lowered its finger and sighed again. **"Very well. It seems that I must continue to show you the truth until you understand. But know this," **it glared at me in warning. **"The pleasant dreams won't last forever, and when they've run out, the only thing left will be your pain."**

The world and the shadow began to fade away.

**"For your sake, try to remember who you are before that happens..."**

* * *

**1 Month Later...**

* * *

I stood in the center of the training facility, with all five of my students standing in front of me with their weapons drawn. Over the last month, I had trained them as best I could to be great fighters. Now, it was finally time to see their progress. I summoned my sword and shield and took a stance.

"Alright everyone...show Rikxaga what you can do!" I challenged.

My students all shouted in response, and charged to meet me.

**5 minutes later**

All five of my students were either leaning on their weapons for support, or sprawled out on the floor unconscious. Despite the end result, I was pleased with the progress they had made. Smiling proudly, I put away my weapons and had everyone who was conscious line up in front of me for their lecture.

"It would seem you all still have a long way to go. Akaxi, watch your rear once you finish an attack. It seems every time you do so, I am granted a splendid view of your backside."

"Y-yes sensei." the spearwoman said shyly as a small blush crept onto her face.

"Xetsera, you need to keep your head in the fight. You are still overconfident in your own abilities."

"Yes, sensei." she whispered ashamedly.

"Esudx is out cold, but he needs to use a little less power. Otherwise, he'll just blow himself to smithereens."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Lehxt, you've done fairly well, but there is still something out of place. You always swing too wide when you lunge. If you don't learn to correct that mistake, someone could very well duck under the attack and slice your scaly head from its shoulders. Understand?"

"Yes, sensei." he half growled.

"Oxymi."

The green haired girl was practically trembling where she stood, and gulped nervously. "Y-yes, sensei?"

I stood right in front of her and glared into her eyes for a moment for dramatic effect, then sighed heavily. "You're holding back too much. Rikxaga knows you're better than what you just displayed, but I haven't seen any of that today. Remember, when you're in a fight..." I summoned my sword so that it rested on top of her shoulder. "...it's to the death. If you don't end them, they'll end you."

She nervously nodded in understanding, and I put away my sword. Honestly, I only said that to avoid making it look like I picked favorites. Oxymi was so kind and so sweet, that I found it hard to picture her as a killer like me. I backed away so that I could address all of my students.

"Putting that aside, I'm very pleased with your performances. Rikxaga is proud to be your teacher." I said with a smile.

My students all returned the gesture. "Thank you, sensei!" they said in unison.

I nodded in approval. "I think you deserve the rest of the day off. Dismissed!"

My students went and helped their unconscious ally to his feet and began to leave. Ikxaru was still training his students, and Oxymi and I were the last to leave, so we were alone in the hallway as we walked to our rooms. When I was certain we wouldn't be heard, I put a hand on my student's shoulder.

"Oxymi." I whispered.

She turned around confusedly. I stared at the floor, unable to meet her eyes.

"Let's go to my room. I...I need to talk about something with you."

Every night of the last month, I had more dreams about the girl who looked like me and the girl who looked like Oxymi. I still couldn't figure out their names, but from what I could tell my look alike was deeply and obsessively in love with Oxymi's look alike. And what's more, every time I was near the greenette, I would get this strange, warm feeling in my chest. Was that the love my look alike always talked about? Is this what it felt like to be interested in someone? I wasn't sure, and if I really was in love with Oxymi, then I had to know if she felt the same way. Luckily she accepted my offer without a second thought, and soon enough we were in my room sitting on my bed.

"So, what did you want to talk about, sensei?" she asked sweetly.

"It's alright for you to just call me Rikxaga, you know. I'd prefer if you did when we're alone like this." I answered.

"Oh, okay. Um, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

I took a deep breath before starting. "Oxymi...do you know what 'love' is?"

That caught her off guard, and she paused. "Eh?"

"I mean, do you ever get a certain feeling around someone...and it feels like you were meant to be with them?"

"Rikxaga...are you...?"

"I...I think so..."

She looked nervously down at her lap. "Oh...I see...um, would it be alright if I asked who? Oh! Is it Ikxaru?"

Now that, I had not been expecting. I gave her what could only be described as a 'wtf' face. "What?! No! It's not him! He's just my friend!"

"I got it, I got it, just calm down. Well, if not him then who?"

I paused again, unsure of how I was too phrase my feelings for her. "Promise you won't freak out or tell anyone?"

"Of course! I won't say a word." she said proudly.

"No, really. You can't tell anyone. EVER. And please promise you'll hear me out and not freak."

"Rikxaga, it's alright." she put her hand on mine for reassurance. "You can trust me."

All of my doubts and fears seemed to melt away at the action, but they came back again as I prepared to reveal my secret.

"Y-you see...I...the one Rikxaga loves is..."

What happened next was a blur. The last thing I remember, I was trying to tell her how I felt. Then the next thing I knew, she was beneath me, on my bed, with my lips pressed firmly against hers. It took me a moment to register the position she and I were in, and when I did I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. Oxymi still lay dumbfounded below me, eyes wide open and blinking in surprise and our lips still connected. Slowly, I pulled away from her. We were staring right into each others eyes, both waiting for one of us to say something. I decided to take the initiative and sat up.

"T-That's how it is." I stuttered quietly, glancing to the side. Oxymi was still staring at me in shock. "Rikxaga understands if all of this is making you feel uncomfortable, so I'll just keep my feelings to myself from now on, and you can pretend this never hap-"

"No!" she cried suddenly, throwing her arms around me.

"O-Oxymi?"

"I...I don't..." she glanced shyly off to the side. "I don't want...to pretend that this didn't happen. I...I want to remember it."

Her words gave me a mixed feeling of confusion and joy. If she was saying what I think she was saying...

"I don't want to forget this, so...if it's alright with you..." she blushed sweetly and looked at me out of the corners of her eyes. "Could you...maybe...do that again?"

So I wasn't just getting my hopes up. She really did like me. I put one hand on her waist and caressed her cheek with the other.

"Are you sure? You don't have to force yourself to do this. You can still walk away."

She nodded. "I want you to, Rikxaga. I think...I think I love you too."

I smiled fondly at that. "When you say it like that, I can't possibly turn you down."

She returned the smile, and we closed the distance once again. I remained like this for a time, savoring the sweet taste of her lips on mine. I felt a strange sort of longing start to build up inside me, and decided to take the kiss a little further. Without warning, I reached out with my tongue during one of our kisses and traced her bottom lip with it, asking for entrance. Oxymi giggled lightly before opening her mouth to me, and my tongue went inside to investigate its depths. Soon enough, her tongue began poking and prodding at mine, and they began to dance around each other. Oxymi let out an erotic moan at the exchange, which awakened something in me. Suddenly, I found myself lowering her onto my bed, still kissing her fervently. Once her head came to rest on my pillow, I parted our lips. The longing I felt earlier became a need, and my hand slowly crept up her torso before coming to rest on the zipper of her cloak. I shot a glance back at her face before trying anything risky.

"Rikxaga probably should have asked earlier, but...how far do you want this to go? Like I said, I won't force you." I said.

"I...I'm not sure. Part of me is saying to go as wild as possible, and the other part is saying that this is all going too fast." she replied.

I thought for a moment about what would be best for both of us. Sighing internally, I made my decision.

"We...we should probably stop here for now." I said with unconcealed disappointment. "People will notice if we're too exhausted to do anything tomorrow."

Oxymi nodded. "Y-yeah...it's probably for the best. Um, but if you don't mind..."

"Yes?"

"Could I, you know, sleep here with you tonight?"

I smiled softly and pulled aside the covers. "Of course. You're welcome here anytime you want."

She smiled brightly before letting out a petite yawn. I got under the covers, then shuffled over so that she had room next to me.

"Goodnight, Rikxaga." she said softly, closing her eyes and hugging me close.

Almost immediately afterward, I could hear her breathing softly, and knew that she was asleep. Returning the hug, I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before closing my eyes.

"Goodnight, my love."

That night, no dreams came to haunt me. I saw the shadow from the darkness for an instant, and it seemed to smile at me before disappearing.

**"Enjoy your new happiness, my friend. You deserve it far more than you know."**

* * *

"You're leaving?" Oxymi asked worriedly.

I turned to face my lover.

"I'm afraid so. Superior said that Ikxaru and Rikxaga are needed to deal with a serious threat." she pouted in disbelief, so I gave her a tight hug. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

She returned the hug, and gave me a quick kiss before wishing me luck. I made my way to the observation room, where Marluxia and Ikxaru stood waiting. Now that I had arrived, the superior made to address us.

"I have called the two of you because this mission is of the utmost importance. Just over a month ago, I sent the three most powerful groups of adversaries to our cause into a pocket dimension. However, it seems that they are beginning to reappear. Your mission is to go to the world where one of the groups will appear, and defeat them. If it is necessary, I would ask that you kill them entirely. I'm leaving this task to the two of you, because you are my greatest soldiers."

"Hey! What about us?" Grimmjow called from a nearby room.

"Sorry, you are my greatest_ and brightest_ soldiers."

"You know what? Fuck you."

Marluxia just rolled his eyes in response. "You are to leave immediately. Good luck."

With that, a portal appeared in front of me and Ikxaru, and we departed on our mission.

* * *

**Fuuka Academy, shortly after...**

* * *

"So, how are things with Oxy?" Ikxaru asked while we waited for the enemy on the roof of the school.

I turned toward my tall partner, the only other person in the organization who knew about me and Oxymi. "Pretty good. She's worried about me as usual."

He nodded, staring lazily up at the sky. "Makes sense. I'd be concerned about you if you were my girlfriend. So, have you guys...you know, done it yet?"

I sat up, blushing madly. "Of course we haven't!"

"Just askin. You two seemed to really be into each other."

"It's just...this is all so new to us. As nobodies, shouldn't something like love not be possible for us?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess there are exceptions." then he sat up and looked down on the ground. "I wonder what they're talking about down there?"

On the ground below us were the three guardians Marluxia had sent to this world. They consisted of a woman with wild red hair tied in a long ponytail, an alien creature that looked to be of the same race as Lehxt who wore ceremonial armor, and a 7ft tall man wearing green full body armor with an orange visor. Ikxaru and I stayed quiet for a moment so we could pick up what they were saying.

"So let me get this straight," said the man in green armor. "You two are a couple..."

"Yes." the alien and the woman replied at the same time.

"A romantic couple..."

"Yes."

"As in boyfriend/girlfriend..."

"Yes."

"...meh, I'm not one to judge. Still, I didn't expect you of all people to fall for a human, Arbiter."

"It was...unexpected. Still, I have never been happier than I am with Midori." replied the alien.

"Awwwww Arby-kun~, you're making me blush!" the woman said playfully.

"Pfft, she calls you Arby-kun?" the armored man sounded like he was about to burst out laughing.

"Shut it, spartan." the alien glared. "At least my girlfriend is real."

The armored man stopped laughing. "Hey now, that's low. Just because Cortana's an AI..."

"Hey guys, we've got company!" the woman interrupted.

Just then, a short brunette girl with crimson eyes and a tall man with dark hair walked up the steps to face the guardians.

"Is that them?" Ikxaru asked.

"Yeah, that's one of the groups superior was talking about." I answered. "I've met them before, but I'm not sure how strong they are."

"Looks like we're about to find out."

We decided to give the guardians a chance to fight with the pair before we made a move. The short girl and the tall man fought side by side, completely in sync with each others movements and attacks. In a way, they almost reminded me of Ikxaru and myself. In no time at all, the pair had decimated all three guardians. Nodding to each other, my partner and I summoned our weapons and leapt down to meet the pair. The girl immediately bared her teeth and readied her enormous gauntlets upon catching sight of me.

"You!" she yelled.

I smiled mischievously at her. "So we meet again after all. And here I thought you'd gone up and died. Oh well, a deal's a deal. My name is Rikxaga, and this is my partner, Ikxaru. And you are?"

"Tsuyo-sa Irino. The man beside me is my friend, Yasha."

I was about to make another witty remark, when all of a sudden I noticed Ikxaru and Yasha were staring intently at each other.

"You there, Ikxaru was your name, yes?" he said.

"That's correct." my partner answered.

"There is a familiar presence about you...a kind of power that I have not felt since-" he paused for a moment. "Tell me, does the name Asura mean anything to you?"

"Asura...it sounds familiar somehow, but no, I don't know anyone by that name."

"Very well then, let us not delay any longer." he entered into a combat stance similar to that of Ikxaru.

Without another word, we sprang into battle. I took on Tsuyo-sa, and Ikxaru duked it out with Yasha. The girl was stronger than the last time she tried to attack me, and I found myself occasionally struggling against her powerful blows. However, she seemed to be struggling just as much against my speed with my sword. Ikxaru seemed to be doing fairly well against Yasha, as both were rapidly exchanging kicks and punches at speeds I could never hope to reach. After the battle went on for a time, Tsuyo-sa and Yasha decided to change up their one-on-one battles for a two-on-two bout. Against the combined strength and speed of both fighters, even Ikxaru was having a hard time keeping up. Catching our breath for a moment, we both shot a glance at each other and nodded. Ikxaru dashed forward and unleashed a flurry of kicks and punches on both of our opponents. While they tried to deal with him, I leapt over his head and tossed my shield at them. The pair leapt back, separating just as I predicted they would. Ikxaru grabbed hold of my legs and tossed me at lightning fast speed toward Tsuyo-sa. I held my sword in front of me as I neared my target, knowing there was no time for her to try and block.

_SCHINK!_

My sword tore into flesh, but it was not Tsuyo-sa whom I had struck. Yasha stood in front of me, with my sword through his chest in a vital area. Somehow, he had thrown himself between me and the girl at the last possible second, taking the blow for her. I stared up at the tall man in surprise. He glared at me as best he could before forcefully tearing my sword from his torso, and throwing it aside, taking me along with it. Ikxaru caught me before I hit the ground.

"Yasha!" Tsuyo-sa cried.

I looked over to see her on her knees, with the tall man laying across her lap. Yasha weakly opened his eyes and smiled up at her.

"Why did you do that?" Tsuyo-sa said through tears.

"Because...you're strong enough now...you don't need me anymore." he said.

"Idiot...you big idiot..."

Yasha closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "I want you to live on, Tsuyo-sa. Live, and put an end to Marluxia and his cruel game. You can do it...I know you can..."

The tall man exhaled deeply, then breathed no more. Tsuyo-sa stared sorrowfully at her dead ally, unable to speak a word. Suddenly, Yasha's body began to dissolve into bright lights, and drifted away. Tsuyo-sa looked up at the lights as they took to the sky.

"No...come back...I'm not strong enough..." she whispered weakly. "Yasha...I need you...you big idiot..."

The small girl burst into tears, and cried deeply and loudly in front of us. Ikxaru and I slowly stood up.

"Should we finish her off?" my partner asked.

I stared at the crying girl for a few moments longer, then turned around and made a portal back to our base.

"No, that won't be necessary. She's already finished."

That night when I got back to headquarters, more dreams haunted me. This time I saw the other me and the other Oxymi, but now there was another girl with sapphire eyes. I was too tired to understand what anyone was saying, but it looked as though the new girl was creating a rift between other me and other Oxymi. I thought back to earlier today, and how Tsuyo-sa had looked after I had taken Yasha away from her. I decided I wasn't interested in listening to the shadow tonight, so I pushed all of the dreams aside and slowly drifted away into sleep.

* * *

A few weeks later, Ikxaru and I were sent away again. Now we were in a place called Ohstriensberg, somewhere in Europe during the 17th century. According to the superior, two of the guardians had already been slain by the enemy that had appeared here. That's right, just_ one_ enemy. One single warrior who had somehow managed to royally piss of Marluxia and slaughter several guardians by themselves. The streets were already in a panic when we got there, so we had to wade through the terrified townspeople to get to our opponent. Eventually, we found them pinning a young blonde woman with a shield and short sword to the ground. The woman was moaning and weeping as the grotesquely disfigured woman on top of her busied herself with tearing off the clothes on her chest and biting down softly on her shoulder. The blonde's arms and legs were tethered to the ground by what looked like vines.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...please, don't do this to me..." the blonde pleaded.

The white haired woman on top of her stopped biting for a moment and opened her almost ethereal red eyes to look at her victim.

**"You said your name was Pyrrha, correct?"** she spoke in a somewhat distorted voice.

The blonde nodded weakly.

**"Well, I'm sorry to inform you, but I've been waiting for a very long time to get the love I want from my precious one. However, since she is still out of my reach, and you just happen to be so pretty, I figured you'd suffice for now. Don't worry, I won't turn you, I just want to borrow your body for a little while. Now, be a good girl and let me do my work..."**

Pyrrha was about to protest, when the woman on top of her silenced her with a kiss, to which she responded with a muffled scream. The sight of the two women sparked something in me that brought back those horrid visions of me being in a similar position. The girl who did that to me had aid nearly the same thing this one had, right before she...no, I don't want to revisit those moments any longer.

"Okay, I think that's enough. Ikxaru, let's-Ikxaru?"

My partner was currently staring at the two women in awe, a small stream of blood trickling out of his nostrils.

"Just give it a few more minutes..." he said dreamily.

I groaned in annoyance. _Him and his stupid male hormones._"Ikxaru, if you don't suppress your personal feelings and focus, then I'll tell superior all about your loli-themed doujinshi collection."

He looked at me and gasped. "Rikxy! You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh yes I would."

"(sigh) fine, let's just get this over with." I thought I heard him whisper "Buzzkill."

We summoned our weapons and turned back to the women, but to our surprise only the blonde was left laying on the ground.

**"You know, you two really suck at being stealthy."**

Surprised, my partner and I jumped back and turned around to find the monster woman standing directly behind us, with a pair of flesh like longswords in her hands. She glared at us with her ethereal red eyes, and her gaze seemed to intensify upon settling her gaze on Ikxaru.

**"You...what are you doing here? I killed you already!"** she growled.

"What the hell are you talking about? I've never met you before in my life." my partner replied.

**"Don't you dare lie to me! I've had enough of you, Kurai Shosetsuka!"**

Ikxaru froze at the name, and for reasons unknown to me fell down on one knee.

"Ikxaru! Are you alright?" I asked.

"Gh! My head! It's-gaaaaaah!-it's burning!"

I glared at the monster woman and summoned my weapons. "You bitch, what did you do to him?"

The only response she gave me was an inhuman scream before charging at me in a fit of rage. I barely managed to block her initial attack, and it only got harder from there. I quickly found out that the pair of longswords in her hands were not the only weapons in her arsenal, as two more pairs materialized out of nowhere and began slicing at me simultaneously, just before a torrent of barbed vines burst from the ground and slammed me into the wall of a nearby building. I tried to get loose, but then the woman's vines wrapped around my arms and legs and lowered me until I was at eye level with her. Her angry red eyes bore into me with a hatred unlike any I have ever seen.

**"You'll pay..."** she whispered. **"You'll all pay! I will never forgive anyone who tries to keep me from Hisana!"**

I glared at her in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about? I don't know anyone named Hisana!"

**"Don't lie to me! One of your allies is traveling with her, stealing her away from me! I won't let him have her, Hisana belongs to me and me alone! Now, where is he? Where is the man called Axel? Answer me, nobody!"**

"Go fuck yourself, you crazy bitch!"

To be honest, that probably wasn't the smartest thing to say. The woman replied to my insult by raising her swords for a killing blow. Luckily, right as she swung down a certain someone's silver clad fist sent her flying back. Ikxaru wasted no time in getting me free from the vines. It looked like he was still in pain from whatever happened to him earlier, but he still managed to open a portal back to our base. Seeing the monster woman starting to rise, we quickly retreated back to sanctuary. Upon our return to the base, both Ikxaru and I collapsed from our injuries. The woman had cut me pretty badly during our skirmish, and I had lost a lot of blood. Just before I passed out, I saw Oxymi running towards me with terror written all over her face.

* * *

**"I've been patient,"** the shadow began. **"I tried easing your mind back into place with happier, brighter memories, but none of it seemed to work. I'm sorry my friend, but I'm out of options. At this rate, you're never going to remember unless I show you everything."**

"Memories? Show me everything? I don't understand."

The shadow seemed to sigh at me. **"I know you don't, and I'm sorry it came to this. Please, try to understand that I only did it to help you."**

Without another word, the light appeared brighter than ever before, completely disintegrating the darkness around me. Visions began flooding into my head so fast that it hurt at least 100 times more than usual. I saw other me, other Oxymi, the sapphire-eyed girl, and an all too familiar amber eyed girl standing hand in hand. Then in another scene, other Oxymi and the sapphire girl were laughing with each other, while the amber girl and other me were left aside. The amber girl stared solemnly at the happy pair before looking at the other me.

"Is this how it feels, being ignored by the one you love?" the amber girl asked her in a sad tone.

The other me nodded shyly. "Yes, Yuu. This is exactly how it feels."

I paused. _Her name is Yuu...I can finally hear their names._ Yuu sighed and glanced back at the pair.

"I've only got one shot left, one more chance to show Mato that I love her."

The other me put her hand on Yuu's shoulder. "Don't worry Yuu, I'm sure she'll see how much she means to you."

"I hope so..."

The vision shifted again, and other me was now walking down a hall carrying a tray of cookies. All of a sudden, Yuu came running past her carrying a blue heart shaped valentine and with tears pouring from her eyes. Other me called out to her, but she didn't listen. _She was rejected...she finally got the courage to confess and she lost it all..._ The scene shifted once more, to just after Yuu raped other me. The amber girl was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring solemnly at the floor of the room. She glanced over at the other me, who lay naked and unconscious nearby.

"Im so sorry...I know how much you wanted Yomi to be your first." she said softly.

_Yomi? Was that the name of the other Oxymi?_

"I'll keep my promise to you, my friend. I will give you the power you need to take her back. Just promise that you'll bring me Mato in return."

The next time the vision shifted, other me, Yomi, and Mato all looked different. Mato was lying unconscious in Yomi's arms, with a bloody fist sized hole in her chest. Yomi was crying terribly over the girl in her arms.

"Mato! Stay with me, please!" she pleaded.

The other me looked down at her hand, which was covered in Mato's blood. Yomi looked up at her with mixed grief and hate.

"What have you done?!"

**"No...I...I didn't...I didn't mean to...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"** other me said before gripping her head in pain.

**_"I GAVE YOU MY POWER, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?! SAY GOODBYE TO YOMI, YOU'LL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN!"_ **Yuu's enraged voice cried in her head.

The other me screamed in immense pain as her body became engulfed in blue hellfire and she collapsed. As she burned, she forced herself to look up and reach out toward Yomi.

**"Yomi...I'm so**rry...I couldn't let go...please, forgive me...please Yomi...forgive Kagari..."

The other me turned completely to ash, and the visions came to an end. I stood floating in the swirling light and darkness of my subconscious in shock. _Kagari..._ it sounded so natural. Could it be...was this what the shadow was talking about? Was that...was Kagari...my real name?Kagari. K-a-g-a-r-i. Funny, if you switched the letters around and added an 'x', then it would be...Rikxaga.

**"You remember now, don't you?"** the shadow said, reappearing from the void.

I turned toward it. "My name...is Kagari Izuriha."

It seemed as if the shadow was smiling in response. **"You do remember! Then, if your memories have all returned, there's no need to continue this facade."**

The flame surrounding the shadow began to fade away, revealing a young girl shorter than me with bright amber eyes and an orange barrette in her chestnut brown hair. I knew who she was without even asking. Now that my memories were back, there was no way I couldn't recognize Yuu Koutari, also known as the infamous 'Fury', the same person who had destroyed my life. Anger now taking hold over reason, I glared at Yuu and clasped my hands around her throat.

"You little bitch! You tricked me! You raped me! You murdered me! How dare you show your face to me after what you've done! I'll kill you!" I growled.

Yuu made no effort to fight back, and only gasped weakly as air left her body. She managed to open her eyes and smile weakly at me.

"If...that'll make you feel better...then go ahead...you deserve...to be happy...after all that's happened..." she gasped.

I stopped strangling her at that. Somehow...revenge didn't feel as sweet as I thought it would when she was willing to die. More importantly, there were still a great many things I was confused about, and she was probably the only one who could answer me.

"How the hell are you here in my mind anyway? Didn't you die?" I demanded, letting go of her.

Yuu took a moment to regain her breath before answering. "When I put my power into you, I must've placed a portion of my soul there as well. When Marluxia brought you back to life, even as a nobody, you brought me back with you. However, my presence is limited to your mind and body, so I cannot create a truly physical form."

"Alright, now why were you trying to make me remember who I was? Why give me back my memories?"

"I wanted to make up for all of the things I've done to you, and you wouldn't be able to live as happily you could if you remained a puppet of Marluxia. So I tried to put you back to normal, so you wouldn't have to pretend the feelings you had were real."

It made sense, so I accepted the answer. "Wait, if you've been inside me this whole time, and you know about my servitude to Marluxia, does that mean you can see everything I see?"

Yuu nodded. "I can."

"So you know about me and Oxymi?"

"I do."

"Is she...is Oxymi...is she a nobody of Yomi?"

Yuu gave me a sad smile. "She is indeed."

"Does she...remember anything?"

"No, I'm afraid Marluxia has done something to her and all the other nobodies that were made after you that prevents them from remembering their true selves. It's likely that she'll never know the truth."

"I see...wait, all the nobodies 'after' me? Does that mean Ikxaru can remember his true identity?"

"I believe so. Judging by his reaction earlier, I'd say he's started down the same path to remembering as you."

"That's right! That weird girl said something to him, and his head started to hurt and he collapsed, just like Kagari did when I encountered that woman with the same eyes as you."

Yuu perked up at the mention of the second woman. "Evelyn?"

"Wait, you know her? Is she a relative of yours?"

"She's...my daughter."

"I see...sorry for attacking her."

"It's fine, you didn't know what you were doing anyway. That other girl you met, the one with the corrupted body, she's one of Yomi's children."

I froze in shock. "That monster was Yomi's daughter?!"

Yuu nodded. "Her oldest. Shinzo Takanashi. Don't worry, her younger sister Hisana is nothing like her."

I lowered my gaze. "So Yomi had children...Kagari is assuming they are Mato's as well, aren't they?"

"...yes."

Oddly enough, I wasn't as depressed as I thought I'd be. "Well, at least Yomi was with the one she loved before she died. But still, how did two women-"

"Actually, I was just about to bring that up. You see, since my powers still exist inside you, you have the ability to impregnate with other women." seeing me gasp, she quickly added "Don't worry, it's nothing like that. All you do is have her swallow your essence, and then the next time you kiss her lips, she will be with child. Oxymi has no chance of regaining her memory, and now you are the sole object of her love. If you so wished, you could..."

"No, I don't think that would be a good idea. Kagari loves Oxymi, this is true, but a baby...we're just not ready for something like that. We haven't even had sex yet."

Yuu sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Your choice. I'm not going to force you to do anything, but quite frankly I wish you two would just stop beating around the bush and fuck already. I can tell you both want to really badly, especially you." she smirked as she finished.

I could feel heat rising to my cheeks at the thought of me and Oxymi getting intimate. "T-t-t-that's-"

Yuu laughed. "Don't worry, your feelings are safe with me. Well, I think I've kept you long enough. Now that you remember who you are, you should try to keep it a secret from Marluxia. I don't think he'd be too fond of one of his minions getting out of hand. If you ever need me, I'll be here in your head."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

Yuu smiled honestly at me. "Well, good luck old friend. May you find happiness for the rest of your days."

* * *

When I awoke, I found myself lying in a bed inside a room that was not my own. Looking around, I noticed Oxymi kneeling beside me, resting her arms and head on the bed. I could see stains on the sheets from something wet around her head. _She must've cried herself to sleep worrying about me..._ I realized. I sat up to reach out for her, and rested my hand on top of her head. After gently petting it for a time, she began to stir. My lover sleepily opened her emerald eyes to look at me, and they immediately widened upon seeing me sitting upright.

"Rikxaga!" she cried before flinging her arms around me and pulling me into a tight hug.

I paused for a moment before happily returning the gesture. "Hey you." I said quietly.

"I was so worried...you looked so horrible when you came back, I thought you were going to die!"

I softly ran my hand through her hair, letting her cry it all out. Eventually her tears were gone, and she was still clinging onto me. Looking to brighten the mood, I took a good look at the room we were in for the first time. The walls, as well as just about everything else, were all colored in varying shades of green.

"Oxymi, is this your room?"

She managed to nod against my chest. "Yeah. Superior told me to get you somewhere to recover, so I brought you here."

"I see. What happened to Ikxaru? He didn't look too good the last time I saw him."

"Superior sent him to his room to try and get better. After that, superior just stormed away muttering curses about not realizing who the enemy was."

"Heheh, I'd imagine he's pretty upset."

"Still..." she hugged me tightly again. "I'm glad you're safe. I don't know what I'd do without you, Rikxaga."

It took me a second to remember that she didn't know about the real me. Smiling, I returned her embrace. "Same with you, Oxymi. Rikxaga loves you so much."

I could hear her sigh contently. _This girl, she's everything to me. I don't want to lose her a second time, I want us to be happy together. But...how can I be sure she really loves me?_

"Oxymi." I put a finger on her chin and tilted her head up towards me.

Her emerald eyes stared longingly into the gold of mine. Slowly, we closed the distance. I noticed she had become more aggressive since the last time we made out, and found myself being lowered onto her bed, with her knee between my legs and her arms at my sides. We kissed a few more times before staring into each other's eyes again, with our faces flushed and our breaths fast and ragged. Nervously, I reached toward her chest with my hand. She stopped it midway. I thought she was going to tell me no, but then she slowly, tentatively guided my hand to the zipper of her cloak. Despite the excitement I felt at the implication of her actions, I decided not to assume too much. I looked up at her again.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Oxymi paused for a moment, then nodded. "I'm not afraid anymore. I want to know what it's like..." she took off her glasses in a surprisingly slow and sensual manner. "...to feel the touch of the one you love."

_Goddamn! How can she be so cute yet so kinky? _I couldn't possibly deny her after a request like that. "If that is what you wish, then I will gladly teach you how to love."

She smiled happily, and with that she glided my hand down. Her cloak slid off her perfect body in one swift motion, and her lips came crashing down on mine. I can't completely remember what happened next, only that it was like a dream come true. What I do remember was the the feeling of her breasts in my hands, the sensation of her fingers on (and eventually, inside) my center, the taste that came from hers once I showed her ecstasy, and then finally the feel of both our precious places touching. Eventually we were too exhausted to do anymore than kiss as we came down from paradise. Just then, I felt a weird tingling in my throat. It was probably just the after taste of her sweet nectar, so I paid it no mind. Suddenly though, Oxymi pulled away from me and started coughing.

"Oxymi? What's wrong?" I said nervously.

She coughed a few more times, then stopped. "I...I think I swallowed something."

"Huh? But the only thing in my mouth is you."

"Yeah...maybe that was it. It sure felt weird though..."

"Maybe we're so exhausted that we're feeling things. I think it's time we got some sleep."

She nodded and let out a petite yawn. I took that as a yes, and waited for her to lie down beside me before pulling the covers over us.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since then, and something strange was going on with just about everyone. Superior was constantly arguing with that annoying arc guardian Nightmare, who kept demanding to go after Shinzo for reasons I was unaware of. Ikxaru was still under the weather since that last mission, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was regaining his memories like I did. But the most noticeable change was Oxymi. Ever since we made love, she's been having these weird mood swings and was almost always sick in the morning. What's more, her stomach seemed to be getting bigger. Odd, considering none of us really ate much. I let another week go by before deciding to take my girlfriend to see the superior and find out what was wrong. I was currently waiting for him to finish tracing over Oxymi with some kind of scanner he recently made. As soon as the scanner reached her distended stomach, it began making a loud beeping noise. Worried, I stood up from my seat.

"Superior, what is it? What's wrong with her?"

His expression was one of shock, then it turned into a sadistic smile that scared the living shit out of me. "Oh, it seems I was right after all."

"What are you talking about? What did you find?" Oxymi demanded.

Marluxia just chuckled crazily before walking to behind his desk. "I can't believe you hadn't figured it out yet. Oxymi, you're pregnant."

Both me and my girlfriend froze. "WHAT?!" we screamed at the same time.

"You heard me. And want to know what else? According to the energy readings I got, Rikxaga is the father."

Oxymi looked at me in utter horror. I returned the gesture, as I was equally stunned at the news.

"How...how is that possible?!" I demanded. It just didn't make any sense.

"I'm not entirely sure, but it appears that she has ingested something that has given life to a child of two women. How interesting..."

"Wait...ingested...you mean I swallowed something?" Oxymi said.

"Looks that way."

"But that doesn't make any..."

It hit her the same time it hit me. The tingling sensation in my throat. Her suddenly choking on something. Somehow, I had given her something that impregnated her the night we had sex. She looked ready to burst into tears, and I knew that I wasn't much better. Mustering what willpower I had, I turned toward Marluxia.

"How...how far along is it?" I asked.

"8 months."

"8 months?! But it's only been three weeks!"

"Well whatever you did, it seems to be growing abnormally fast. Oh well, it's not as though it matters anyway..."

The sudden venomous tone he used did not sound good. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, let's just say I'm not as out of the loop as you might think I am. I know all about your memories, Rikxaga. Or should I say, Kagari?"

I froze where I stood. How did he know? I thought I had hidden it perfectly.

"How do I know? Kyubey told me."

"Kyubey?" Oxymi and I said at the same time.

**"You rang?"** came a childish voice.

We turned to see a small cat like creature with long ears, white fur, and beady red eyes that never blinked. Kyubey leapt over me and landed on Marluxia's shoulder.

"Kyubey here has been keeping track of everything that goes on in this place for me. It's a shame, really. I would've loved to have seen what it's like for a nobody to give birth, it would've made for good research. But, I'm afraid that now that you've recovered your memories and put an uncontrollable element into my hands, I am forced to be rid of you."

Marluxia instantly summoned his scythe, grinning madly. "Once I'm done with you, I'll have to fix Ikxaru so that he doesn't end up like you. Then I'll have to send my arc guardians out for more materials to make replacements for you two. It's been fun, farewell!"

He swung straight for Oxymi's stomach. Panicking, I leapt in front of her and summoned my shield. I just barely managed to block the strike in time and knock him off balance. Before he could recover, I summoned my sword and slashed at his chest. He tried to lean out of the reach of my sword, but he wasn't quite quick enough, and my blade cut through his robes. Strangely enough, I heard the sound of shattering glass, followed shortly by a dark aura surrounding Marluxia and dropping him to his knees and sending Kyubey flying into the wall. He clutched at the spot where I had cut something on his chest, and I saw what looked like black sand falling through his fingers. I didn't bother to stay and try to find out what just happened, I just took Oxymi's hand, and bolted out the doorway with her. I knew it was probably not a good thing to force a pregnant woman to run, but I also knew that we didn't have long before the others were sent after us. Surprisingly, she didn't seem to complain about anything, but that could also mean she was royally pissed at me and wasn't willing to talk. Well, I can't really blame her, but at least I can protect her.

"Just a little further! Once we get out of here, we can stop and rest!" I said.

"Rikxaga..." I heard her say painfully.

"It's alright if you're mad at me. You have every right to be. But I swear, Rikxaga never meant for this to happen, I never meant for you to get pregnant. Rikxaga doesn't know how she did this to you, but I promise I'll do my best to take care of you and the baby."

There was silence again as we ran through the corridors, until I heard a faint "Thank you."

I smiled. "Anything for you, my love."

I caught sight of the transport room, and lead us toward it. We were home free, or so I hoped. As soon as we entered the room, Ikxaru stepped right in front of me, holding a huge silver zweihander in his hand. He stared at me and Oxymi with what almost seemed like a glare.

"Ikxaru..."

There was no way in hell I could beat him, but I prepared to summon my sword anyway. I wasn't about to give up my lover and child without a fight. Ikxaru just stood there, staring at us. Then, to my surprise, a huge smile broke out on his face.

"Who's Ikxaru? I'm Kurai Shosetsuka." he said in his usual headstrong tone. "You're late, Kagari. I was just about to leave without you."

I couldn't help but smile at him. "You son of a bitch, I thought you were about to kill me."

"Me? Of course not. Not too sure about them though." he pointed behind me.

I turned around and saw Mokxoti, Axim, and Thryx all charging toward us with their weapons drawn.

"I suggest we leave. Immediately." Kurai said.

"Sounds good, now let's go!"

Right as the others were about to catch us, we quickly opened a portal to who knows where and leapt through, sealing it shut behind us. From now on, we were enemies of the organization.

* * *

For the next few days, we were on the run. I found time to explain to Oxymi the truth about me and Kurai (omitting the parts about Mato), and Kurai managed to explain to me how we ended up nobodies in the first place. Apparently, Marluxia had somehow managed to get his hands on our remains (my ashes, his sword), and pulled the memories stored within them to recreate us as nobodies. However, this was not the only disturbing thing the sword smith had to say.

"I got a brief look at his journal, and I think I have an idea on his grand plan." he began.

Oxymi was napping nearby, the stress of carrying a rapidly growing baby had become a great burden to her. So, I was the only one listening. I nodded for him to continue.

"It seems to me that he intends to use the method that created us to make an army of nobodies. If he succeeds, then he won't need to have this game running any longer."

"I forgot to check, but how many of his guardians are left anyway?"

"Hmm...I think there were around 15 when we left the headquarters."

"If it's that low, then it's highly likely he'll try to accelerate his plans."

Kurai nodded in agreement. "We should try to warn the king of Windbloom. His city is one of the few places in the multiverse with a multidimensional broadcasting device."

"Sounds like a plan to me." I turned over to Oxymi. "About her...how much longer does she have left?"

Kurai sighed. "Not long. She's due any day now."

I frowned as a wave of guilt came over me. "It's all my fault...if only I had controlled myself..."

"You couldn't have known about how to activate the ability. It was probably set off by accident."

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter now. All that matters now is keeping her safe. This time, Kagari will be the one taking care of her."

Kurai smiled softly. "You really love her, don't you?"

I nodded and went to join my lover in sleep.

"More than anything in the world."

* * *

The next day, we arrived on the outskirts of the desert surrounding Windbloom. The city looked to be at least a two hours walk away, but at least we were close. Before I could enjoy the moment, I felt a number of familiar presences begin to close in on us. I turned to Kurai.

"Kurai-"

"I know. They're coming." he said without waiting for me to finish.

"Dammit! Alright, we need to move now! If we hurry, we can make it to the city before they-"

"Aaaaaaaaah!" Oxymi suddenly cried out.

I rushed to her side as she fell down on a knee.

"Oxymi, what's wrong?"

She cringed in pain as she spoke. "I-I think it's time!"

I froze. "The baby's coming now?!"

She nodded weakly. I put a hand against my forehead. This wasn't good. There was no way we could get her to the city in time _and_ fight off whoever was coming our way. Somebody had to stay behind and buy time, and somebody had to take Oxymi to a hospital. Realization dawned on me. _So...this is how it's going to be, huh? Well...at least this time I did it right._

"Kurai." I said, rising to my feet.

"Kagari, this better be important!" he answered.

"...run."

I could hear him stiffen in surprise. "What?"

"I want you to take Oxymi, and run as fast as you can. I'll hold off the others."

He immediately knew how that would turn out. "No...no I'll fight them! I'm stronger than you!"

"And you're also faster. Please, I can't carry her that far."

"Kagari-"

"There's no time to argue! Go Kurai, get her out of here!" I summoned my weapons, and turned toward the direction the others would come from.

He sounded like he was about to protest, but all he managed was a deep sigh. "I'll make sure she gets there safely."

I nodded. I heard him pick up my lover, who was calling out in protest at my demands, and took a few steps away.

"Farewell, Kagari Izuriha. May you fight with honor, and die proud."

"Farewell, Kurai Shosetsuka."

"Kagari, wait! Please! Don't go!" Oxymi cried as Kurai took off. "Kagari!"

I didn't turn around. I didn't let her see the tears that fell rapidly down my face.

"Goodbye, my love."

Mokxoti, Akaxi, Lehxt, and Roxfienn appeared from dark portals. The three unmasked nobodies glared at me as claymore, halberd, and energy swords appeared in their hands.

"Sensei...why?" Akaxi said.

"Traitor..." Mokxoti spat.

"You're going to regret humiliating me!" declared Lehxt.

Roxfienn uttered what sounded like a deep growl. He had yet to summon a weapon, and stood with his arms crossed. I smirked at them and readied my weapons as all but him began to charge towards me.

"Live for me, Oxymi." I whispered.

I lasted longer than I thought I would. For a time, I managed to hold my own against my former students and Mokxoti. But it all came crashing down when Lehxt severed both of my arms from my body. The cocky bastard laughed at me while I cringed from the pain. He lunged at me in an attempt to finish me off, but his swing was too wide.

"Two months..." I whispered.

Right as he was about to cut me, I ducked under the attack, kicked my sword up in the air, caught it in my teeth, swung, and in the next instant Lehxt sailed harmlessly past me, headless. I spat out my sword and glared at his corpse in disgust.

"Two months I trained you, and you didn't learn a damn thing!"

The others were surprised at the sudden death of their ally, and hesitated before preparing to strike again. However, Roxfienn held out his arm in front of them, and began to slowly walk toward me. Although my vision was blurring from the blood loss, I could make out something glowing from beneath his hood. I also felt the desert heat intensify the closer he drew near me. A gargantuan flaming sword appeared in his hands, and he raised it right as he stepped in front of me. As he did so, I got a good luck at his face.

"You are one ugly motherfucker." I smirked.

He swung, and the whole world went dark.

* * *

_**General P.O.V.**_

* * *

Kurai tried his hardest not to shed tears as he walked to the city hospital. In his arms, he carried an armless blonde girl covered in yellow/black blood and gruesome burns all over her torso. By the time he had returned to try and help her, she had already lost. The others had already gone, leaving the former No. 3 to wither away in the desert. But the old sword smith was damned if he was going to let the girl die like that. Scooping her up in his arms, he had quickly traversed the desert once again, trying to drag out her final moments as long as possible. He ran into Tsuyo-sa on the way to Oxymi's room. The brunette had immediately recognized Kagari on sight, and looked ready to pummel what little life remained out of her. At seeing her intention, Kurai shot her a disgusted look.

"Forget about your vengeance, she is already fatally wounded." he barked. "At least let a father see their child before they die."

Tsuyo-sa was about to respond, but stopped upon realizing he was right. The brunette moved aside to allow him entry. Oxymi held her baby fondly in her arms, smiling sadly. The child had blonde hair like it's father, and it's mother's emerald eyes. Hearing someone enter the room, she turned to see her lover hanging lifelessly in the man's grasp. Were it not for the child in her arms, she would have screamed as loud as she could. With a downcast face of regret, Kurai walked over and gently lowered Kagari so that the blonde could see her lover and child. Weakly, Kagari opened her eyes.

"Oxymi..." she rasped.

"I'm here, Kagari." the greenette replied through tears.

Kagari's gaze drifted from her lover to the infant in her arms. It was Oxymi's child, their child. The blonde girl managed a smile.

"It's a boy." Oxymi said, knowing her lover lacked the strength to speak more than a little. "I was hoping...that maybe you could help me name him."

Kagari gasped heavily for a few moments before speaking again. "Nasu...mora...Izu...riha..."

"Nasumora...I like that. Our little Nasumora."

Kagari closed her eyes contently. "I'm glad...you're safe...you're both...safe..."

There was another deep gasp from the blonde, and then she made not another sound. Kagari Izuriha, despite her struggles, had died with a loving smile on her face. This time, she had not made a mistake. At long last, she was at peace.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys! I know it's been awhile, so I decided to give you this super extra awesome ultra sexy triple length chapter that I probably should have just made into a oneshot. 13,660 words. 13,660 FUCKING. WORDS. My god this took forever. I apologize if this does not meet your expectations, as it is more of an indirect continuation of the story meant to build suspense and be awesome at the same time, and I promise the main storyline will resume...in chapter 14. (I promised some people an omake chapter, and dammit I'm gonna make it happen!) Lol as always don't forget to review and keep reading! Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: A Tale of Two Witches (Omake)**

* * *

**Japan, The Warring States Era…**

* * *

_**General P.O.V.**_

* * *

Homura Akemi, age 19, 5"7' with long dark hair and grey eyes. Known to few, she is the most powerful, and as of five years ago, the only, magical girl alive. With the power to halt and turn back time, as well as a seemingly endless arsenal of the latest modern weaponry, she has managed to survive the end of her world, and the infamous multidimensional warm from three years ago. The quiet girl had chosen to participate in the tournament proposed by Marluxia with one goal in mind: to join her long lost love in the lifeblood of the multiverse. Homura has traveled far and battled many foes since this tournament began, having slain a total of 5 guardians by herself. After cleansing the kingdom of Hyrule of its guardians, she had entered the portal to the next world and arrived in Japan's distant past. However, after walking through one of the capital cities and taking a look at the occupants, she discovered something was very different about the past than she remembered. Everywhere she looked, all of the townspeople, all of the nobles, just about everyone she saw was female. There was not a single man in sight. Somehow, she had ended up in a rather strange version of the Warring States Era. A deep yawn reminded her that she was exhausted from the constant travel and combat, so she began asking around for a place to rest. Eventually she came across a rather busty red haired woman with facial tattoos wearing skimpy black armor and a cape. The woman had another girl beside her with glasses wearing purple. Since they were close, Homura walked toward the pair.

"Excuse me, miss." she said politely.

The girl in purple glared at her. "How dare you address Lord Nobunaga in such a disrespectful manner!" she growled.

Homura's indifferent expression didn't change. "Nobunaga? As in Oda Nobunaga?"

"Ah, so you've heard of me then!" the red haired woman said haughtily. "Hm, judging by your garb I would guess that you are from another world. Am I right?"

Homura nodded. "That's correct."

"I figured. So, what brings you to my kingdom, traveler?"

"My lord, you're just going to trust her like that? We don't even know if she's with the invader or not!" said the purple woman.

Nobunaga rolled her eyes at her companion. "Mitsuhide, relax. She probably wound up here the same way Rao did."

"Rao? Who's that?" Homura inquired.

"A tall woman with silver-lavender hair who showed up here about two months ago. From what I could tell, she was a visitor from another world, just like you."

"Silver-lavender hair…that sounds like someone I used to know. Where is this person now?"

"At the inn just down the way. Poor woman, she looked so tired and broken when she got here. Last I heard she was getting on good terms with the local sake vendor."

"That's…interesting. Well, thank you for the advice Lord Nobunaga." Homura turned to leave.

"Just a moment." Nobunaga put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Mitsuhide rose a valid question earlier. Are you with the invader? The one called Marluxia?"

"No, actually I came here to fight his guardians and liberate your world."

Nobunaga smiled proudly. "Alright! Then I wish you luck, miss…what was your name?"

"Homura."

"I wish you luck, Homura!"

Nobunaga gave the smaller girl a friendly yet hard slap on the back and started laughing boisterously before sending Homura on her way. Soon enough, the witch hunter arrived at the inn the visitor called 'Rao' was staying at. Upon asking the innkeeper for Rao's room, she was given a skeptical look.

"Please tell me you're not another whore she ordered…I've already had to pay my assistants double just to clean up from the threesome she had last time."

"Um, no. I'm here to speak with her, not sleep with her."

"Oh thank god…fifth room on the right."

As she walked down the hall, Homura was starting to seriously wonder if 'Rao' was really the person she suspected her to be. Arriving at Rao's room, she took a deep breath before slowly opening the door. Inside, a tall woman was sprawled out on the floor, with her hair spread in every possible direction and a half empty bottle of sake in one hand. Were it not for the sheets thrown lazily over her back, she looked to be completely naked. Loud, drunken snores could be heard coming from her drooling mouth, and the entire room stank of sex and alcohol.

"This can't be right…there's no way she'd end up like this." Homura thought out loud.

The passed out woman's eyes were open in an instant. She jumped surprisingly expertly to her feet, and drew a slightly longer than average katana she had hidden under her sheets and pointed it at Homura. The woman's long hair hung over her eyes, obscuring her vision.

"Who's there? If you're that damn innkeeper, I already told you to leave me to my business!(hic!) I'm paying what I owe, so just let me be!" she growled drunkenly.

"Noto…kishi?" Homura said slowly.

That made the drunken woman pause. "Notokishi? No one calls me that anymore…who are you?" she partially brushed her hair out of her face, revealing a pale blue eye. "Ho…Homura? Homura Akemi? That you?"

Nervously, Homura nodded. "It's me, your highness."

"Huh…so you came here too…how about that…(hic!)" she said before collapsing to the floor.

* * *

When she awoke again, Homura was sitting patiently beside her. Slowly regaining the ability to process what her eyes were seeing, Rao found that she was now fully clothed in a red kimono. _Huh...I forgot that I bought this the other day. Homura must've dressed me while I was out._ she thought. Her hangover hit then, and she gripped her forehead in pain. Forcing it aside for the moment, she looked over at Homura, who seemed to be waiting for her to say something.

"Ugh...my aching head..." Rao mumbled as she prepared to speak. "Sorry about earlier, Homura. I must've had a little too much sake last night."

"Apparently not for the first time, from what I've heard." the quiet girl responded.

Rao stared at her quizzically, then realized what she meant. "Oh...so you heard about that, huh? Yeah...I've been a bit of a wreck lately...hehe..."

Homura did not seem amused by her attempt at humor.

"(sigh) Stiff as always. So, what brings you to this fine place? You hunting guardians?"

"That's correct."

"Figured as much. You're always too serious to do anything fun, Homura. You need to lighten up a little now and then, treat yourself a little."

"Like you've been treating yourself the past few weeks?"

Rao went silent. "Homura..."

To her surprise, the normally reserved girl was now clenching her fists in anger. "It makes me sick...seeing someone like you doing something like this...reduced to a philandering drunkard..."

Rao glared at the girl. "If you knew my circumstances, you probably wouldn't be saying that."

"Then explain! Explain to me how the first born princess of Windbloom wound up spending her nights drinking and sleeping with whores! What the hell happened to you, Notokishi?"

Rao was silent for a time. She just sat there, glaring hatefully at the younger girl. Then, she released a deep sigh and reached for her bottle of sake. She held it out to Homura.

"Take a drink, you're gonna be sitting there a while."

"I'm underage."

"Not in this time period you're not. Now drink, or I aint talking."

Reluctantly, Homura took a small sip of the beverage, right before spitting it out in disgust.

"Well, at least you tried. Now, where should I begin?"

"Start with how you're even alive in the first place. The last time I saw you was three years ago, and according to everyone else, you died in battle."

"Well, it's true that I was dead for a time, but a little over two months ago, someone brought me back. I didn't know who, and I didn't know why. All I knew was that I wanted blood, Siegfried's blood. And god was I determined to get it." she took a swig of sake before continuing.

"I found out later that it was Marluxia that had resurrected me, and I had been used as one of his guardians. He turned me on my people, made me so angry that I couldn't think straight. Fortunately, I got the sense beat back into me, right after I got this."

Rao brushed aside the hair over her right eye to reveal a long scar that been cut over her eye. Homura gasped at the scar, for she had only focused on Rao's body when dressing her and hadn't yet seen her face. Mostly because her breath reeked of sake. Seeing the girl's startled response, Rao let out a small laugh.

"Sexy, isn't it? I got this when I messed with a girl who turned out to be the daughter of Fury. Big mistake. Anyway, it was after that that my troubles really began. I found out about the origins of my return, and apologized profusely to Siegfried and Kaia for losing control of myself. (sip) Then, I found out that Verona was dead."

Homura froze. She knew that the former princess had been deeply attached to her bodyguard. No, to her wife. The young girl had been so busy hunting guardians that she hadn't had time to check in on her allies in Windbloom. She thought of her own attachment to a certain kind and outgoing pinkette, and how she had devoted herself to making sure that person stayed safe.

"She had been killed by another guardian, they told me..." Rao continued, smiling sadly as she drank more sake. "She was still young. 27 years old, two years younger than me." another drink. "I probably don't have to tell you how hard it hit me. You know what it's like, losing someone you love more than anything in the whole fucking multiverse. But unlike you, I don't have a magic reset button. I can't go back and change what's already happened." another drink, this time longer.

"Maybe you should slow down a little..." Homura tried.

"I'll stop when I feel like stopping!" Rao snapped. "I didn't know what to do when they told me that. Honestly, I considered killing myself. But, Verona wouldn't want that for me. So I decided to try and cope by teaching Yomi and Ebony's kid how to fight. Yeah, apparently they finally got together. About damn time, right?" she paused to laugh, but her grim expression didn't change.

"But it didn't work. No matter how hard I tried to take my mind off it, I just couldn't stop thinking about her. Thankfully, years of being around politics had helped me to make the perfect poker face, so nobody ever caught on to how bad I really was. I gathered my things, changed my name to Rao Lin Cho, told everyone I was leaving to hunt guardians, and left." another short laugh followed by sake.

"By some strange chance, I wound up here in this amazing world without men. I found and took out the first guardian, then settled down here. Luckily for me, I made a fortune by killing that guardian, and had enough money to rent this room for at least two years. But the more time I spent here, the more I began to lose myself. Soon enough, I found myself spending more and more of my cash on loose women and booze. You know the rest."

Homura sat in stunned silence, still comprehending that the drunk woman sitting in front of her cursing over her now empty bottle, had once been the great and powerful Notokishi Blan de Windbloom. What Rao had said was true, she knew very well what the former monarch was going through. When she had lost Madoka, Homura had devoted herself to endlessly searching for a timeline in which the sweet pinkette did not meet her untimely demise. As for Rao, she had chosen to cope with her loss by drowning her sorrows in prostitutes and alcohol. How someone so proud and noble had sunk so low was still hard for her to believe, and she stared at the woman with nothing but pity.

"Princess..." she whispered.

"Don't," Rao said softly. "Don't call me that anymore. I'm not Notokishi, and I'm not a princess. I'm just Rao Lin Cho, a very drunk, and very tired traveling mercenary. So, what are you gonna do now that you'e heard my little sob story?"

"I will do what I came here to do, defeat the guardians overseeing this world. And since you look like you need something to take your anger out on," Homura stood up and held out her hand. "I'd very much appreciate it if you would join me."

Rao hesitated at the offer.

"Come on Rao, this is your chance to prove you're still worth something. Put aside the sake and the prostitutes, pick up your sword and fight with me. Remind me that you are more than just a mere human. Remind me that you still carry the pride of the proud nation of Windbloom."

Rao stared at Homura's open hand. Trembling, she began to reach toward it. But then she retracted just before they touched. The former monarch slumped back and stared down at her empty bottle.

"Forget it, Homura. I'm not that person anymore." she sighed. "I've got no one left, so there's no point to even bother trying."

Homura could only stare at the older woman in shock, shortly before her expression returned to its usual emotionless state.

"I see. So that's it, then."

Rao nodded. Homura sighed and withdrew her hand. The dark haired girl turned toward the door to leave.

"And to think...I used to look up to you." she whispered.

Rao's head shot up in surprise, and she watched Homura head towards the door.

"I wonder...if Verona saw you now, what would she think?"

If Rao had said anything in reply, Homura hadn't heard it as she sped out the door and down the hallway.

* * *

The next day, Homura was wandering around the woods at the far end of the Minamoto country's borders. According to information given to her by Mitsuhide, the second guardian, who was apparently an unbeatable swordswoman, had chosen to reside there. Following up on the tip, Homura quickly neared the location of the last sighting of the swordswoman. Soon enough, as she was walking through a path of bamboo trees, she picked up an exceptionally strong presence teeming with negative emotional energy. Drawing a sidearm from within her shield, Homura whipped around and took aim at the guardian, only to flinch in surprise.

**"Well, now isn't this a surprise?"** came the distorted voice of the guardian.

"S-Saber?!" Homura stuttered.

The guardian standing before Homura was none other than the king of knights herself. However, Saber looked much different than she remembered. The swordswoman's armor was completely black and jagged, her eyes were a demonic golden yellow, her skin had turned pale, her ahoge (the one little hair that sticks up on her head) was now gone, and even the holy sword Excalibur was now black with glowing red runes. Black Saber smiled deviously at the young girl standing before her. Even in her altered state, she still retained all of her memories from her past life.

**"Homura Akemi, what a pleasure it is to see you again. How goes your hopeless quest to save your sad little girlfriend? Oh yes, that's right. If I rmember correctly, you _failed._"**

Homura held back a yell of anger and glared at the swordswoman. "You're not Saber. The Saber I know would never say such things."

**"The Saber you know? Please...you never really knew me, you never took the time to get to know anyone, you little outcast."**

Black Saber raised her sword, which began to glow with red energy.

**"Now, be a good girl and die for me, would you?"**

Homura leapt to the side as her former ally slashed at her. Landing swiftly on her feet, the young girl proceeded to unload her sidearm on the Servant. Just before the projectiles made impact, they turned to dust. Homura stared in surprise for a moment before evading another attack. Pulling out an LMG, Homura sent a much more powerful stream of lead at her opponent. But like before, the bullets incinerated upon coming in contact with the Servant. Black Saber let out a sinister laugh.

**"Surprised? I've gained a few new tricks since coming back, Homura."** she said.

Gritting her teeth, the younger girl took out an RPG and leapt high inot the air. Black Saber just smiled and watched as the expplosive flew toward her. Instead of exploding on contact, the Servant cut the explosive clean in half, causing it to sail past her and detonate. Landing back on the ground, Homura drew a shotgun from her shield and took aim.

**"Surely you've realized by now that that won't work?"** Black Saber laughed.

Homura simply pulled fired in response. To Black Saber's surprise, abnormally hot flaming projectiles burst from the youngeer girl's firearm. Despite her time in the modern world, the Servant had never been made aware of incendiary rounds until now. However, like the bullets from before, the projectiles failed to do any damage. Black Saber laughed arrogantly as Homura glared in frustration.

**"Is that all you've got? If you really want to hurt me, then why don't you drop your useless toys and fight me blade to blade?"**

Homura was well aware that if she were to do as the Servant asked, then she would have absolutely no chance at winning. Saber was unbeatable when it came to swordplay, after all. The young girl now only had one weapon left to use on the guardian, and with a grunt of frustration held her shield in front of her. Black Saber stared in confusion as the gears in the shield clicked, and the flow of time came to a halt for all but Homura. Knowing she did not have long, the young girl quickly pulled out a grenade and ran towards the frozen Servant. Just as she was about to pull the pin, Black Saber suddenly smiled fiendishly and slashed at her. Too surprised to dodge, Homura cringed in pain as a deep gash was made on her midriff and was knocked to the ground. Her shield clicked, and the flow of time resumed.

"I don't understand, why didn't it work?" she thought out loud.

**"Isn't it obvious? I am simply too powerful for your magic to affect me."**

Black Saber then held her sword out, and the blade began to glow a brighter red than before.

**"I think it's time to put an end to this little game, don't you agree?"**

The Servant laughed insanely as she raised her now flaming blade. Homura knew what was coming, and that she wouldn't survive if she were hit, but when she tried to run her injury sent a powerful jolt of pain that refused to let her move. The young girl watched helplessly as Black Saber swung her sword.

**"Ex-"**

"That's enough!" a new voiced yelled suddenly.

Black Saber and Homura turned in surprise to see a familiar woman in a red cloak standing at the edge of the path. Rao glared at the fighters as she approached them, drawing her slightly longer than average katana as she went. Homura stared in mixed surprise and joy at the woman as she placed herself between Homura and Black Saber.

"Rao..." she began.

"Not another word, or I'll change my mind." the former monarch said without looking at her. "Saber, from now on your opponent will be me."

The Servant scoffed in response. **"You? You're just an ordinary human! (sniff) Ugh! And you reek of alcohol!"**

"Yeah well I figured my friend's life was a little more important than a shower. Now are we gonna fight or what?"

**"Hmph. Very well, let's get this over with."**

The two swordswomen nodded, and sprang into battle without another word. About a minute into the fight, it was clear that Rao was completely outmatched. The two months worth of constant alcoholic indulgence were taking their toll on the woman in red, and her attacks were scattered and uncoordinated. At one point Rao blocked a powerful downward slice, and the fighters weapons became locked in a struggle to force each other back. It looked as though Black Saber was going to overpower her completely, when all of a sudden she reached into her cloak and produced an ornate bottle of liquid. Uncapping the bottle with her teeth, Rao dumped a portion of its contents into Black Saber's face, causing the Servant to swallow some of the liquid before pulling back.

**"(cough) (cough) Disgusting! What vile poison have you so cheaply splashed me with?"** Black Saber demanded.

"Oh this? It's this new brew I got the other day. They call it 'Dragon Maiden's Delight'. I gotta say, this is by far the best booze I've ever had." as if to prove her point, Rao downed the rest of the bottle's contents in a few loud gulps. "Ahhhh, that's the stuff. Gotta be careful though..."

The former monarch picked up Homura's discarded shotgun and took aim at the Servant.

"...because it's highly flammable."

Before her opponent could try to react, Rao fired, and Black Saber's body was engulfed in flames. The Servant screamed as she collapsed to the ground, screaming and writhing in pain. As she burned, Black Saber glared up at Rao.

**"You treacherous bitch! Have you no honor?!"**

Rao returned the glare and positioned the firearm at the Servant's head. "No..."

_BANG!_

"...and neither do you."

Tossing the shotgun aside, Rao turned toward Homura, who was still staring in shock at Black Saber's burning, headless corpse. The young girl looked up to the tall woman. Rao bent down and picked her up in her arms so that she held her bridal style.

"Come on, Homura. Let's get out of here." she said with a smile.

It was quiet on the way back to the inn. As Rao laid Homura down to treat her wounds, the young girl's curiosity reached the breaking point.

"Why did you come back?" she asked.

Rao was silent for a moment as she went about her work. After applying some bandages, she let out a deep sigh. "I thought about what you said. You were right, Verona would be ashamed of me if she saw the kind of life I've been living. And besides..."

The former monarch paused for a moment as she locked eyes with the younger girl.

"You're the only one I have left, Homura."

Homura heard the honesty in her tone, and although her cold exterior didn't show it, she was happy to have heard such words from the tall woman.

"So you'll help me fight, then?"

"To the best of my ability."

"And you'll quit the sulking?"

Rao paused, then sighed. "And I'll quit the sulking..."

"And the prostitutes?"

"And the prostitutes..."

"And the alcohol?"

"And the-well, maybe not the alcohol..." Homura sent her a disapproving glance. "Okay, fine. I'll cut back a bit on my drinking."

"I suppose I can live with that." the younger girl sighed.

"However..." Rao continued.

"Huh?"

"In exchange, you need to have fun more often. If I'm gonna shape up, then so are you."

Homura was about to argue, but the glare she got from the older woman silenced her in an instant. She sighed again and closed her eyes.

"It seems I have no choice. Just don't expect too much from me."

Rao laughed lightly. "That's the spirit! Alright, I think that's more than enough drama for one day. Let's get some sleep, tomorrow's going to be a busy day for both of us."

"Umm..." Homura whispered nervously.

"What? Is something else wrong?"

"It's just...there's only one bed mat in here." a light blush spread across her cheeks.

"Oh? Are you afraid I might try and do something dirty to you in your sleep?" Rao smirked.

"Rao!"

"Haha, just kidding. If it's that big a deal, I'll just use my coat as a blanket and give you space."

"No, you don't have to do that. It's just...I've never spent the night with someone before..."

Rao looked at Homura seriously for once. Because of the girl's mature and strong willed attitude, she often forgot how innocent and young she really was. Smiling softly, Rao laid down next to Homura and drew the covers over them. The former monarch rolled over so that her back was facing Homura.

"Goodnight, Homura." she said.

The younger girl nervously pressed her back against the woman's, and was surprised to find the position to be comfortable. Soon enough, the sound of light snoring made her drowsy, and she softly whispered as she drifted to sleep.

"Goodnight, Rao."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Homura helped Rao get back on her feet. According to Nobunaga, the third guardian had yet to make an appearance, so it made sense for them to use their free time to try and help each other out as they had promised. Rao's rehabilitation went by faster than Homura had expected. It seemed to her that the older woman had gained some kind of new found confidence that drove the depression out of her at an incredible speed. She had cleaned herself up so much in fact, that the innkeeper no longer complained about her practically permanent tenant. Now if only Homura could get her to quit drinking. Rao on the other hand had been making various attempts to try and break Homura of her uptight and stoic personality. She took her to plays, taught her the art of swordsmanship (which she turned out to have an affinity for, oddly enough), took her out for falconry with Nobunaga and the other lords of the land, and even got her to change her hairstyle back to her original braided pigtails. There were times, however, when her efforts were taken a little too far. For example, when she had Homura walk with her blindfolded into an unknown building one evening..

"Rao? Can I please take this off now?" the younger girl demanded.

"Go ahead, Homura. We're here~" Rao called out in a sing song voice.

_I've got a bad feeling about this..._ Homura thought as she removed her blindfold. Upon opening her eyes, she found herself standing in front of a crowd of scantily dressed women of varying size and age. The crowd smiled at her in unison.

"Welcome back, Rao-oneesama~!" they all said at once.

"Hello, girls. It's good to see you all again." Rao responded.

Homura's eyebrow twitched in frustration. The appearance of the women, coupled with the overwhelming scent of liquor and the dim lighting of the building told her exactly where she was right now. The local brothel. Needless to say, she was not pleased.

"Rao...why are we here? Didn't you promise not to have anymore..." she chose her next words carefully to sound as least offensive as possible. "...'intimate visitors'."

Rao shook her head sarcastically. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Homura, how could you be so rude to these fine young ladies here?"

Some of the younger members of the brothel giggled while others just seductively batted their lashes.

"Besides, they already know I've promised not to bring any of them home with me anymore."

"It's too bad, Rao-oneesama. Nobody can beat a master in bed like you~" one girl cooed.

"Well if you've given them up, then why are we here?" Homura demanded.

"Isn't it obvious? So you can get laid, duh!"

A furious blush spread across Homura's face as a combination of anger and embarrassment flowed through her. While she was still trying to formulate a response, Rao turned her attention back to the crowd.

"Alright girls, I want you to figure out which one of you is most likely to give Homura the time of her life."

"Yes, Rao-oneesama!" they all answered at once.

One by one, the brothel employees introduced themselves to Homura, barely giving her anytime to respond. She figured if she just ignored them, then Rao would give up and they could go back to their room. Just as she was nearing the end of the line though, a particularly young girl with pink hair tied into two intricate pigtails approached Homura. The 19 year old just about had a heart attack upon laying eyes on her. Aside from her eyes, which were a beautiful sky blue, the girl was very reminiscent of Madoka.

"Uh-um, hello, Ms. Homura." the girl said shyly.

Homura was still too stunned to respond, so the girl continued.

"M-my name is Momoki. I'd be h-happy if you would choose me to spend your time with me."

Homura stared at the girl for a few moments longer. Then, her gaze dropped to the floor.

"I...I'm sorry, Momoki. You seem like a very sweet girl, but...I can't...I can't sleep with you...I can't give myself to anyone here." Homura bowed her head in apology. "I appreciate your offers, all of you. I'm sorry, but I can't say yes."

With that, the dark haired girl turned and headed out the door. Rao stared after her friend in regret before apologizing again to the brothel attendants and leaving.

A few days later, once Homura had calmed down a bit, Rao decided to try taking her out again. She did not specify where they were going, only that Homura had been made to wear an extravagant black and violet kimono Rao had purchased with her earnings from part time mercenary work. Once again Homura was blindfolded, but this time when the sight impediment was removed, it was not a brothel that awaited her. Instead Homura found herself looking at a festival thrown for the city, complete with music, stands, fireworks, and everything else that made a great festival. Amazed, Homura turned to face Rao, who wore a red kimono with silver flower patterns etched into it, along with a red ribbon in her hair that held her long ponytail in place. The older woman smiled at her friend.

"I figured nothing says 'I'm sorry' better than a carefree night at the festival." Rao explained.

"Rao...I don't know what to say..." Homura said honestly.

"You don't have to say anything. Tonight is your night to do whatever you want."

The younger girl could only smile warmly in response. Excitement overwhelming her, Homura happily took Rao's hand in her own before rushing off into the festival. For the first time in what seemed like ages, Homura actually got a chance to feel...well, girly. Rao watched fondly as her young friend went from place to place, smiling all the while with childish joy. Homura's actions and cheerful expression reminded her greatly of how Verona had been when they were together. Now that she thought about it, Homura didn't look all that different from her wife either. The only real differences were her slightly smaller bosom and her grey eyes. Realizing where these thoughts were heading, Rao immediately shook her head to clear her mind. _Idiot...just what are you thinking? She's ten years younger than you, it could never happen..._ the older woman left Homura's side for a moment to get some sake, but to her surprise found that the young girl had followed her to the stand.

"You sure about this? You didn't take too well to it last time." Rao warned as she handed Homura a glass of a particularly strong brew called 'Midnight Passion'.

"That's because I wasn't prepared for it back then. Now, I'm ready."

That was what she said a few hours ago, before the two had drunk themselves silly. With the festival coming to an end, they groggily made their way back to the inn. After stumbling drunkenly inside, Rao had the younger girl sit down while she went to retrieve something from her traveling pack. Rao returned holding a small wooden box, with the letters "N+V" carved into the front of it. Realizing who the initials stood for, Homura looked up at Rao in surprise. The older woman smiled as she opened the box.

"Are those..." Homura began.

Rao nodded. "Our wedding rings." she reached inside and pulled out one of the rings. "Go ahead, try it on."

Hesitantly, Homura took the ring and carefully slid it on her finger. It fit like a glove. The younger girl stared down at the shining silver band in awe.

"It's beautiful..."

"That one was hers." Rao said softly.

Homura stiffened in alarm, and looked back at the older woman. Rao was looking down at her own ring, smiling sadly.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll take it off right away-" Homura began.

Rao shook her head. "It's okay. I don't mind you wearing it, as long as you put it to use."

"What are you...saying..."

The older woman finally looked her in the eye. "I want you to have these, Homura. It's time I let go of my pain."

The younger girl was overwhelmed. "But...I can't possibly accept these..."

"Please, I want you to take them. After all, you'll need them for when you see Madoka again, won't you?"

Homura froze. "You...knew?"

Rao nodded. "Since day 1. Why else would you hunt down guardians? Why else would you try to keep your virginity?" Homura gasped. "Okay, that one was a guess. I just thought you wanted your first time to be with Madoka, that's all. Still, I figured I'd try to help you have fun for once before you leave here."

"Wait, you're not coming with me?"

"I told you before, there's nothing left for me to fight for out there. You're the only friend I have left, but I don't want to get in the way of your happiness. If you think you can have Madoka in your arms, then go for it. But I'm not leaving this place. It's kinda grown on me, and given me a reason to keep living. And I don't mean the girls at the club."

Despite the fact that Rao was smiling, Homura could tell just how sad she was. When she left, Rao would be left all alone, and would more likely than not slip back into her depression for the rest of her days. The older woman had known all along that she'd leave once the last guardian was dead, and even still she had gone out of her way to make Homura happy. Madoka had been kind as well, but never to the extent that the former monarch had. What was more, her relationship with Madoka had never reached the level she desired, and the pinkette didn't seem to want anymore than her friendship. But with Rao, it felt almost like she were in a relationship beyond that of friends. It almost felt as though they were an actual couple. The younger girl watched Rao with sadness and guilt, which did not go unnoticed by the older woman.

"Hey, don't worry about an old hag like me. I've gotten this far, haven't I? And besides, you're still young, you still have a chance to choose what will make you happy. Don't let me keep you from being with the one you love."

Homura paused and thought. _The one I love...it is Madoka...isn't it?_ While she was still thinking, Rao put her hand over hers, and placed the second ring in her hand.

"Please Homura, do this for me. If I don't let her go, then I'll never be able to move on."

The storm of raging emotions took time to settle within the younger girl. When it finally did, she leaned close to the older woman. "You said...that tonight I can have anything I want...right?"

"Y-yeah..." the suddenly close proximity was slightly unnerving.

"Anything at all?"

"Yes."

"Then...if you intend to keep that promise..."

Homura stood up, and her kimono fell from her shoulders to the floor, leaving her completely naked before the older woman.

"...make love to me."

Rao sat in shock at Homura's uncharacteristically bold action. While she tried to come to terms with what the girl had said, her eyes traveled over her exposed body, taking in every inch of her elegant form. Realizing where her thoughts were heading, Rao silently chastised herself and averted her gaze.

"What the hell is this...asking for something so absurd..." she muttered.

"It's not absurd. I'm asking you to have sex with me." Homura bent back down, pressing her mildly ample bosom to Rao's and putting her face close to the older woman's. "Is my body...not to your liking?"

"It's not that...you're beautiful, actually...you look just like Verona..."

"Then why do you hesitate? I know you want to touch me. I've seen the way you look at me when you think I can't see you. I want it too, so what's wrong?"

Rao forced herself to meet Homura's gaze. "It's your first time, isn't it? Wouldn't you rather give that to Madoka?"

Homura shook her head. "It took me a long time to realize it, but Madoka doesn't see me as anything more than a friend. No matter how many times I told her I love her, she never once said it back. But you were more than that. You tried your hardest to make me smile, and succeeded, even though you were afraid I'd leave you alone in the end. If you can let go, then I can too. So please, Rao. Teach me how to smile more. Teach me how to enjoy life. Teach me how I can use my body to show you my love is true."

Rao was too stunned to respond, so Homura wrapped her arms around the older woman and held her close. "I wouldn't offer myself like this to anyone who didn't have the place in my heart that you have. Please Rao, please make love to me."

The older woman was silent for a time, still thinking over Homura's words. Then finally, she reached down and gripped the younger girl's arms.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'm sure."

"Even though I'm not Madoka?"

"Yes."

"I'm ten years older than you..."

"I don't care."

"I might lose myself and get rough with you."

"I'd expect nothing less."

"I...might want you to do it again..."

Homura looked up and stared directly into Rao's eyes. "I also...may want you to touch me more than once."

Rao smiled softly lifted a hand and ran it across Homura's cheek in a soft caress. "Then, I have nothing more to fear."

Slowly, both women inched toward each other and closed the distance. As they began to go about their bonding, Homura found that what the prostitute had spoken of was true. Rao was indeed a master in bed. The rest of the night was filled with the rustling of clothes, the friction of two bodies joined in union, Homura's cries of ecstasy, and finally the fulfilled screams of both women as they reached their release. That night, Rao slept peacefully for the first time in what seemed like ages, with her arms wrapped protectively around the smiling girl on top of her.

* * *

From that night onward, all the tension surrounding the two women disappeared. They had both managed to let go of their doubts and fears, and began a new life together. Homura kept to her promise, and after a week long period of asking and asking and asking, they were happily married. Rao saved up her earnings from all the mercenary work she could find, and bought a house for the two of them. Many more hot nights like their first time followed, and after a few weeks together as a married couple, they decided to stay in this world. Their lives were starting to fade back into normalcy, when one day, a message arrived from the neighboring kingdoms. It told of a creature of incredible size and darkness, that brought ruin to all it touched. Apparently, it was headed straight for Nobunaga's lands. Determined to defend their new home, Rao and Homura set out to vanquish the new foe.

Soon enough, a gigantic gear shaped structure appeared in the darkened skies above, with what appeared to be a faceless (save for a jester like smiling mouth) marionette standing upside down underneath it, laughing insanely. Homura fell to her knees in fear upon setting eyes on the creature. She knew it all to well.

"Walpurgis Night..." the young woman said fearfully.

Rao knelt down beside her wife in alarm. "Homura-chan, are you alright?"

"It's over...there's no way we can beat it...the witch is too powerful..."

The older woman hugged her wife close as she helped her to her feet. As tears began to fall from the young woman's eyes, Rao wiped them away with a gentle hand.

"Shhhhh, don't cry, Homura-chan. We'll be alright."

Homura saw a flash of light envelope her husband (Rao's more masculine. 'Husband' makes it easier :p), and in the next instant Rao was wearing her Robe. The crimson otome smiled down at her wife's surprised face.

"What, you didn't think this was just for show, did you?" she said, pulling back her hair to reveal her blood red G.E.M., the Eternal Blood Ruby, sitting in her ear.

Rao then took Homura's hand in her own. "It doesn't matter how strong the enemy is. As long as we're together, there's no way we can lose."

The young woman smiled through her tears and nodded before dawning her own battle attire. Hands still intertwined, the pair turned toward Walpurgis Night and readied their weapons. With a yell, they leapt as one toward the witch.

"No matter what happens, I will always be by your side."

* * *

**12 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed this omake! I promise the main story will resume in the next chapter. As always, keep reading and don't forget to review! Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Greater of Three Evils**

* * *

**Unknown Location**

* * *

Marluxia groaned as he sat down weakly in his desk chair, clutching tightly at something that hung from his neck. He remained cringing like this until the throbbing sensation coming from the object stopped. The overseer sighed in relief as he reclined, exhausted.

**"You should have been more careful."** a childish voice said.

Marluxia turned to glare at the white cat like creature sitting on his desk. Kyubey stared back at him indifferently with beady red eyes. The overseer sighed and turned his attention back to the object in his hand.

"I know, incubator. You don't have to point out the obvious."

**"Should I also not remind you of what would happen if you hadn't managed to reseal it in time?"**

"I would prefer that you do."

_That was too close._ thought the overseer. _If Kagari had broken it anymore than she did, I might not have been able to fix it._ He sighed before standing up and looking at his research notes. _I need more time...there has to be a solution to this, there must be!_ Marluxia discarded all thoughts of the object in his hand and turned back to Kyubey. Right now, his top priority was setting things in motion to prepare for future events.

"Kyubey."

**"Yes master?"**

"Inform Nightmare that I have decided to grant his request. Tell him to depart as soon as possible."

**"Of course. Should I get started on my job now, too?"**

Marluxia nodded, and the incubator disappeared without another word.

* * *

**Ostrheinsburg, at the same time…**

* * *

_**Shinzo**_

* * *

The elder Takanashi twin was frustrated as she roamed through the vacant and burning streets of Ostrheinsburg. She had been in the city of the past for almost three weeks now, and even though she had already slain the third guardian, the exit portal had yet to appear. She had tried to pass the time by toying with Pyrrha and any other unfortunate girl she felt a fondness for, but she quickly grew bored of their cries of passion and anguish. Xalir wasn't around anymore, for reasons she neither knew nor cared for. She had become much hungrier than she used to be since gaining her new form, so she spent the rest of her time eating just about every poor soul that crossed her path. Just as she finished devouring a young man by the name of Patroklos, a powerful and vaguely familiar presence reached her senses. Retracting her fangs from the lifeless boy's neck, she turned toward Ostrheinsburg Castle, the one place in the city she had yet to visit. A brilliant and terrible pillar of red light was shining from somewhere deep within the castle, and somehow it felt as though it were calling out to her. Her longswords began to glow red and shake violently the closer she got to the castle, and even more so when she entered the throne room.

**"So, at last you've come."** a deep, booming voice said from the other end of the room.

Sitting upon the throne, with the pillar of light raging behind him and a gargantuan sword with an angry yellow eye in his hand, sat a huge knight clad in shining azure armor. The knight glared at her with ethereal red eyes identical to her own, and tightly gripped the throne's armrest with his grotesquely disfigured right hand. Shinzo's eyes narrowed as she readied her blades.

**"Who the hell are you?" **she demanded.

**"I am called the azure knight, Nightmare."** answered the knight.

**"Are you a guardian?"**

**"I serve Marluxia. But I am much more than a simple guardian..."** Nightmare rose swiftly to his feet, holding Soul Edge out to his side. **"I am an arc-guardian, one of Marluxia's three most powerful warriors."**

**"So...you are the reason I have yet to leave this place."**

**"That is correct."**

**"Why?"**

Nightmare grinned wickedly beneath his helmet. **"You possess something that does not belong to you, something that I have come to reclaim."**

**"And just what would that be?"**

The azure knight pointed his blade toward the malfested vampiress. Almost immediately, Soul Edge and Ryuketsu no Bara began to glow brighter than ever, and shook uncontrollably in their wielder's hands. A raging aura of red energy engulfed both of the dark beings, and seemed to resonate with each other. Malfested and malfested. Cursed sword and zanpakutou. Hunger and thirst. Blood and darkness. Insanity and ambition. Lust and rage. Crimson and azure. Nightmare approached Shinzo until he was just a few steps away from her.

**"Do you understand? We share the same great power. The power of Soul Edge! The reason why you are so strong, the reason why no one can beat you, the reason why all succumb to your might, is because the power of Soul Edge exists within you. It flows through your body, empowering it and strengthening your soul! Don't you see? With the power you and I possess, we are invincible!"**

Shinzo listened to Nightmare's words with interest, and found what he said to be true. It certainly did explain her sudden transformation, and why her swords so closely resembled his. However, she also noticed the rather blatant message he was trying to get across besides just being the source of her disturbingly strong dark power.

**"You want me to join forces with you?"** she growled.

Nightmare looked her dead in the eye. **"If that's what you gathered from my words, then I'm afraid you are mistaken. While it is true that we are the same in that our power is born from darkness, our kinship ends there. As I said before, I have come here to reclaim that which does not belong to you."**

The azure knight held out his malfested hand toward her, which began to glow a bright red. **"A sad little girl who lusts for her sister is not worthy of this power!"**

Before Shinzo could try and stop him, a beam of black and red energy shot out from the azure knight's hand and struck the crystal in her chest. The vampiress cried out in pain as the object slowly began to tear itself from her flesh. Her body and swords began to return to their original state as the malfestation disappeared. After one final cry of agony, Shinzo felt the crystal fragment dislodge completely from her body. As she fell to her knees clutching her chest, the fragment floated through the air and came to a rest in Nightmare's hand. The azure knight laughed maniacally as the shard fused itself to Soul Edge.

**"At last, the final fragment has been recovered! Now Soul Edge can return to it's full power!"** he declared raising the sword high.

A bright light enveloped the sword, and when it emerged again it had lost all of it's metallic features, and had grown several more eyes along its length. While Nightmare marveled at the restored blade, Shinzo feebly dragged herself to her feet. Her eyes were still red, but had lost their ethereal glow. Her body was now ghostly pale, and her white hair much longer. The malfestation that had corrupted her body and weapons had vanished, leaving her in what little remained of her armor before she had transformed. Even if she did not know it herself, she was no longer under the enchantment placed upon her and her sister since birth, she had regained her true form. Shinzo tried to move towards the knight and raise her rapiers, but collapsed to the ground after taking just one step. Nightmare looked at the pale vampiress as she struggled to get to her knees.

**"Just as I thought, without Soul Edge's power, you are nothing more than a girl with a sword. How pathetic."** he mocked.

Shinzo tilted her head up to glare at him. "You...bastard..."

Taking hold of her rapiers, she weakly pointed them at Nightmare.

"Chi no Toge...no Danmaku!" (blood thorn barrage)

The six rapiers around her multiplied into thirty six, and began to fly rapidly at the azure knight. Nightmare merely scoffed and either deflected or destroyed every sword that came his way until only two were left. Barely finding the strength to stand, Shinzo took hold of the remaining two rapiers and charged at the arc-guardian. Nightmare took a step back in preparation, then stepped forward and savagely slashed at the vampiress. Shinzo cried out in pain as her swords and chest were broken and cut at the same time. The vampiress fell back to the floor, injured and unarmed. Nightmare quickly walked over to her, knowing that it would not be enough to kill the girl. Shinzo cringed as Soul Edge was thrust ruthlessly into her back, pinning her to the floor.

**"I know what you are, girl. I know that this will not be enough. So long as there are multiple souls within you, you will not die. Now, be still, and I shall relieve you of those souls." **Nightmare declared.

Shortly, black lights began to protrude from Shinzo's back and flowed into Soul Edge. The vampiress felt herself growing weaker by the second as the souls of those she had consumed escaped the confines of her body. Nightmare laughed maniacally as he drained her until only her own soul remained. Only then did he remove the blade from her back. As Shinzo tried to crawl to her feet, the azure knight reached down and picked her up by her hair so that he could see her anguished expression.

**"Tell me, how does it feel, knowing that you have lost?"** he said as he walked her out to the balcony over the moat surrounding the castle.** "How does it feel to have everything taken away from you? How does it feel, to know that she will never be yours?"**

Shinzo glared with everything she had at the azure knight. "No matter...what you do...you won't...stop me...Hisana...will...be mine!"

Nightmare paused, then bore his ethereal eyes straight into hers. **"We'll see about that."**

The azure knight tightened his grip on the girl's hair, making her scream in pain as he held her out over the dark waters below.

**"You can survive any injury, but can you survive without air?"**

With that, he cast the vampiress into the watery depths of the moat. Satisfied with himself, he turned and headed back to his throne.

**"Have a nice swim, Ms. Takanashi."**

* * *

Beneath the waves, Shinzo looked up at the red and black sky as she descended further into the depths of the moat. No matter how hard she tried, her broken and bloodied body refused to move. She could feel the air escaping her lungs, and knew she didn't have much longer until she drowned completely. _How could this happen..._ she thought. _How could I have been so weak? I have to get up...I have to become stronger...I can't die now!_

**_"Then don't die."_**

Shinzo turned in alarm towards the sound of the voice. Drifting beside her, staring with unblinking eyes, was a small white cat like creature.

_"You...you can hear my thoughts?"_

**_"I can do that and much more, Shinzo__ Takanashi."_**the cat creature answered mentally.

_"Who are you?"_

**_"Who I am does not matter. What does matter is whether or not you wish to continue living."_**

Shinzo narrowed her eyes at the creature. _"How could you possibly save me?"_

**_"Simple. Just make a wish, and you will have the strength you need to return."_ **

_"A wish?"_

**_"Yes. Tell me your heart's desire, and I will give it to you. Despite my appearance, I am capable of doing just about anything."_ **

The dying vampiress paused in surprise. If the creature before her was telling the truth, then it would mean she would no longer have to hunt down guardians to gain her wish. Although there was surely an ulterior motive behind the offer, Shinzo decided it would be well worth the risk.

_"You said...that you can can grant any wish, right?"_

**_"Tell me what you desire, and I shall do my best to give it to you."_**

_"Very well then. I wish to sever my blood relation with my sister, Hisana Takanashi, so that I may love her without worry."_

**_"Hm, I figured you would say that. That's why I took the liberty of preparing for it in advance. Just a moment, please."_**

A bright light began to shine around Shinzo's body, and her wounds instantly healed. The cat creature floated over to where Shinzo lay floating unconscious, slowly rising toward the surface.

**_"Your request is a tricky one, so you won't be a completely different person. You may retain some aspects of yourself from before you go through the change. Now tell me, if you will no longer be Shinzo Takanashi, then what is your new name? From what bloodline shall I draw your new body?" _**

Shinzo's lips curled in a warm and devious smile as a single name crossed her mind.

_"My name...is...Shinzo...Koutari."_

If Kyubey had the capability to express joy, then he would have worn a terrifyingly sinister grin at that moment.

**_"Your wish is granted, Shinzo Koutari."_**

* * *

Nightmare sat upon his throne, pleased with how easy it had been to take what he came for and destroy a possible threat to his plans. Still, he had hoped for a bit more of a fight from the infamous Takanashi twin. _No matter. I would've had to remove her eventually anyway. Now, there is much to be done if I am to rebuild my armies and break free from that worthless cur's control._ The azure knight rose from his seat to head out and collect souls, when all of a sudden a strange gurgling sound came from outside. Walking out onto the same balcony he had dropped Shinzo from, he looked over the edge. There, amidst the dark waters of the moat, was a brilliant and shining light just below the surface, causing the water to boil around it._  
_

**"Impossible!"** Nightmare thought out loud.

Just then, a glowing figure surrounded by bright red hellfire burst from beneath the waves and flew straight towards the azure knight. Nightmare grunted in angry surprise and raised his sword in defense, only to have himself flung back inside the throne room on impact. As he rose to his feet and readied himself for battle, the flame surrounding the figure dissipated. A fairly tall woman with lightly tanned skin, eyes that were neither fully red nor amber, waist length white hair with four small backward curving horns sticking out on top, a slightly larger than medium bust, and a long scaly tail now stood before him. The woman wore light scaly black armor over her chest, waist, ankles, wrists, and shoulders, and held a pair of black serrated longswords in her hands, with four more resting on her sides. Nightmare glared at the demon woman as she smiled wickedly at him.

**"How...how can this be?! You drowned! I saw you!"** he demanded.

"Yes, Shinzo Takanashi died, and from her I have been reborn as Shinzo Koutari!" declared the demoness.

**"Koutari?!"**

"I see you are familiar with the name. Perhaps you are also familiar..." the swords in her hands became cloaked in red hellfire. "...with the perks that come with it!"

Shinzo charged toward the azure knight, slashing with both flaming swords. Nightmare scoffed and blocked the blows with one of his own.

**"You may have obtained new power, but you forget that I am still far stronger than you!"**

"We'll see about that!"

The demoness leapt back before surging forward again and launching into a flurry of blazing steel. Nightmare was undeterred by the attacks, and despite having only a single large blade matched her speed and strength. Once Shinzo was done with her barrage of strikes, the azure knight began his. Even with her newfound strength, Shinzo found herself retreating under the knight's immense physical and magical might. They clashed for what seemed like hours in this manner, both evil warriors gaining ground, then losing it shortly after. Enraged at his inability to crush the demoness, Nightmare roared before sending a barrage of slashing black energy arcs at Shinzo. The demoness countered the barrage with a blast of hellfire, and charged toward the knight again. The more the warriors clashed, the more the castle around them was destroyed. Soon enough, the throne room was reduced to little more than a 30ft platform of stone with two partially destroyed walls teetering over the moat and pillar of red energy. Nightmare raised his sword in a defensive position as Shinzo struck again. The moment the girl's swords connected with Soul Edge, a small flash of energy burst from the blade, making Shinzo stagger back and leaving her wide open for the ruthless downward slash that followed.

**"This is the end, Koutari!"** shouted Nightmare as he swung.

Time seemed to slow down as Shinzo narrowly side stepped out of the path of the cursed sword. The azure knight watched in disbelief as the demoness spun around him and thrust her swords backwards. A grotesque squelching sound, followed by a splash of liquid reached his ears, confirming that the attack had hit home. Nightmare groaned as Shinzo withdrew her blades from his body, and staggered forward a few steps. Keeping himself upright with his sword, the azure knight turned to face the demoness. Her mixed colored eyes glared at him with grim satisfaction.

**"This...cannot be..."** Nightmare wheezed. **"To think...that I was beaten...by a little girl..."**

The azure knight fell to his knees, then collapsed. Shinzo's gaze lingered on the arc-guardian's body as it began to dissipate into red and black energy before fading away entirely. The demoness then looked at Soul Edge, which sat stuck into the concrete, staring with its many eyes. As if on cue, Kyubey appeared atop the hilt of the weapon.

**"Well done, Shinzo. Do you like your new form?"** asked the incubator.

"It pleases me in a number of ways, yes. However, there is one thing I'm not so sure about."

**"What would that be?"**

"For some reason, it seems you've given me an...'extra part'."

**"Extra part? Oh, that's a-"**

"I know what it is! I want to know why it's there!"

**"A side effect of the transformation. Apparently, there are some female demons who possess an 'extra part' as you called it. Since the Koutari line is now of demonic descent, your body must have become a female demon of that type."**

Shinzo sighed. _Figures. This is going to make sleeping with Hisana very...interesting._ "Whatever. I'm still thankful for the body regardless. So what's the catch, besides the fact I...you know what I mean."

Kyubey tilted his head. **"Catch? I'm not quite sure I know what you mean."**

"Don't play dumb! Whenever someone makes a wish, there's always some kind of price to pay."

**"Ah, if it's the price you're curious about..."** somehow, the incubator's permanent smile seemed to widen. **"Then don't worry, it'll be paid in due time."**

Shinzo glared at him for a few moments longer before sighing. "Fine, have it your way then."

The next time she looked, Kyubey had disappeared. Shinzo put away her weapons and picked up Soul Edge. All of the eyes on the sword turned towards her in curiosity. She smiled at the cursed weapon.

"Invincible power my ass." she said before tossing the sword as hard as she could.

She waited for the weapon to disappear into the city before turning toward what remained of the drawbridge and leaving.

* * *

_Now that I'm no longer a Takanashi, I can forget about this stupid tournament and focus on finding Hisana._ Shinzo thought as she walked through the streets. Marluxia had already made his announcement, and in an unusually angered tone at that. However, the portal leading to a different world was left in an unspecified location, so she was forced to look through the ruined city to find it. The walk gave her time to get used to her new form. She no longer thirsted for blood, since she wasn't a vampire anymore, but her supernatural and normal bodily senses had been magnified tenfold. Even from far away, she could smell a lifeform teeming with demonic or any other kind of energy. This is what determined her course to the portal at the end of a long street, and what made her pause when she caught a whiff of the particularly foul and unwelcomely familiar odor of a certain no-life king.

"Alucard." she growled.

The ancient vampire emerged from the shadows and stood in front of her. His usual mad smile was gone, and instead he was scowling angrily at the demoness.

"Shinzo." he growled back.

The young Koutari was silent. She merely glared at him.

"I suppose I don't have to explain why I'm here." Alucard continued, walking around Shinzo. "I tried to warn you, I tried to get you to see reason, but no matter what anyone says or does, you just keep on trying. You just don't know when to quit. And now you've even gone so far as to cast off your proud vampiric heritage..."

"No one could be proud with you as their predecessor."

"...and instead you have dawned the mantle of a demon, and one of the Koutari line no less! Since you will not heed my words, nor those of anyone else, then there is only one thing I can do now."

Alucard reached into his coat, drew his pair of high caliber handguns and took aim at the demoness.

"I must destroy you, before you destroy us all! No matter what happens, I cannot let you have Hisana!"

Shinzo smiled and glared furiously at the vampire as she summoned her swords. "I was hoping I'd get the chance to kill your ancient ass!"

With that, she dashed toward Alucard and slashed. The vampire backed out of the strike's path and unloaded a quick burst of holy bullets. Shinzo evaded most of the shots and ignored the two or three that actually struck. The demoness leapt onto the wall of a nearby building and multiplied her blades before sending a short barrage at her opponent. Alucard leapt onto the wall of a building on the other side of the street and took aim again. Both evil beings began running along the buildings of the city, firing a non stop exchange of swords and bullets. That is, until Alucard ran out of ammo. Just as the vampire was realizing his holy bullets were depleted, three of Shinzo's swords struck him in the leg, shoulder, and arm. Alucard cringed as he fell crashing into the street below. As soon as his head was part way off the ground, he felt cold steel against the back of his neck.

"Got'cha."

_SWISH!_

The ancient vampire's head rolled a few feet away, severed from its body in one swift strike. Shinzo scoffed and kicked Alucard's lifeless body.

"That wasn't so hard." she said as she turned to leave.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy."

Shinzo froze, then turned around to see Alucard standing before her again, with his head fully reattached. Now, however his apparel had changed from his usual long red coat to a black straight jacket like body suit. A black and red shadowy aura began to rise around the no-life king as eyes appeared all over his lower body. Alucard held out his right arm, which became covered in eyes as a gruesome set of large canines opened and snapped.

"Shinzo, meet Baskerville. Baskerville, eat Shinzo."

"Don't you mean 'meet Shinzo'?"

"No. I don't."

The black dog that was Alucard's right arm shot out towards Shinzo with jaws open wide. The demoness stood completely still, a small smirk playing across her lips.

"Zetsubo no ne." (roots of despair) she whispered.

All of a sudden, spear tipped black vines sprang up from the ground, stabbing through Baskerville's mouth and Alucard's heart. The black dog groaned once, then collapsed and fell off from Alucard. The vampire, however, was only momentarily beaten, and soon rose back to his full height. Before Shinzo could make another move, Alucard dashed forward, grabbed her by the head, and hurled her as hard as he could into a building, destroying the structure on impact. He walked over to the pile of rubble, and was met with a fireball to the face. Shinzo backed away slowly, keeping a tight grip on her swords. Just as she suspected, Alucard's incinerated head returned to normal in no time at all. The no-life king smiled insanely as a glint of fear appeared in the demoness's eyes.

"Have you finally figured it out? You can't kill me, Shinzo. No matter how many times I die, the souls of those I have consumed will bring me back."

"Then I'll just have to keep killing you until you run out!"

"Do you really think you can kill over three trillion souls before I kill you?"

"Th-three trillion?!"

"3.3 trillion to be exact."

Shinzo nervously continued to back away, desperately trying to think of a way to beat Alucard, and finding none. The sudden feeling of something solid behind her made her realize she'd backed into a wall. Or at least she thought it was a wall, until she glanced behind her and gasped in surprise. Stuck in the ground behind her, gazing with mad yellow eyes, was none other than Soul Edge. _So this is where it landed. Well, I can honestly say I've never been more glad to be wrong about something._ Trying her best not to smile with wicked glee, she turned back to face Alucard. The vampire was merely a foot away from her now, and the aura of darkness around him was teeming with eyes and crazed smiles.

"It's over, Shinzo!" Alucard declared.

The no-life king closed his fingers, and drove his hand forward.

"Yes, it is over..." Shinzo began.

In what seemed to be an impossible speed, Shinzo threw her swords out in front of her, blinding the no-life king. Alucard was still smiling, until the flesh like blade of Soul Edge entered his chest and skewered him.

"...for you, Alucard!"

Alucard could only watch as black lights started rapidly flowing from his body into the cursed sword, taking his souls away bit by bit. Knowing he still had plenty of strength left to wrench the blade from his body, Shinzo quickly stabbed more swords into the vampire's arms and legs, pinning him against the wall. As an extra measure of security, she lit Alucard on fire, and threw up a fire barrier around the entire building. Alucard glared with immeasurable fury at the demoness as she turned to walk away.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must find Hisana. It's about time I told her how much I love her. Have fun burning in hell, Alucard."

Shinzo began to laugh insanely as she walked through the flames and toward the exit portal. The last thing she heard was Alucard angrily crying her name before she entered the gateway. Now that she had finally removed the bond between her and Hisana, it was only a matter of time until the love she dreamed of sharing with her former sister became a reality.

* * *

**11 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N: **and so, the beginning of the end approaches. In case anyone is sick of Shinzo's transformations, don't worry. This is the last one, I swear. Lol please continue to read and review! Until next time! DarkNovelist out.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Meddlers**

* * *

**Camelot City, around the same time…**

* * *

_**Evelyn**_

* * *

Evelyn Koutari was slowly making her way down what used to be a four way intersection. Well, it was until a crowd of demons had come through there. The now fully fledged demoness had finally managed to escape the mysterious "Monastery of the Lost", only to end up in this strange new world. It didn't take her long to long to find out she was in a place called Camelot City, and that an army of rampaging demons had been trashing the place for a while now. Upon finding a stray newspaper, she found that in the time between her entering and exiting the Monastery, nearly three months had passed. She had no idea how many guardians were left, or that she had recently gained a new sibling. Regardless of how much time had passed, her first priority was to defeat the guardians in this world and reunite with Hisana and Axel, or if she got lucky, Shinzo. Just thinking of the crazed girl she secretly loved caused her to quicken her pace. _I won't forget my promise. The next time we meet, no matter what happens, I'll tell her the truth._ with that thought in mind, she rounded another corner. Upon turning, she was brought face to face with what seemed to be every demon in existence. The creatures ranged from minor ranking zombie like humanoids and wolves to much stronger trolls and golems and other such beasts. The monsters were rampaging about the street, tearing up everything in sight and killing anyone who couldn't run fast enough. A scream brought Evelyn's attention to a father trying to protect his daughter from a pack of zombies. Quickly, Evelyn rushed to their side and cut down the demons with her hook blades. When no more of the creatures seemed to be interested in attacking she turned to face the family.

"Are you alright?" Evelyn asked.

"Yes, but why did you help us? Aren't you one of them?" asked the father.

"Well, I guess, but I'm not like them. Now run, before they notice you again!"

The father nodded, picked up his child, bid her thanks, and bolted. Evelyn turned around, and saw that every single demon on the street was looking straight at her. The demoness readied her weapons in preparation, but to her surprise the monsters made no attempt to attack her. Instead, they did something she wouldn't have expected them to do in a million years. All at once, the demons _**bowed**_** _down _**to her. While she was still comprehending their action, her blue flame aura suddenly went off against her will.

"What the-what the hell's going on?!" she demanded.

**"Well now, isn't this a surprise?"** came a mysterious male voice.

Evelyn turned back to the demons. A huge, muscular man with pink eyes, horns like Evelyn's, and a tail walked out from the crowd toward her, showing off his wickedly sharp canines with a mad grin.

**"So you're our new little sis that I've heard so much about. I thought you'd be taller."** said the devil-man.

"Who are you? And what do you mean, 'little sis'?"

**"I am Astaroth, the Lord of Rot, and a demon just like you, Evelyn Koutari. We are both children of Lord Satan, though your blood ties are a bit less...direct. Nonetheless, you are one of us, and therefore we are family."** the devil-man chuckled. **"It's been a long time since I've met any female relatives of mine."**

To anyone else, Astaroth's words would have been regarded as insane. Evelyn, however, was well aware of her late father's connection to the Lord of Gehenna, and though it was not exactly desired information, she recognized the truth in it.

"Alright, I think I understand. Now I know why those things are bowing to me. But what I don't understand is what you're doing here, or why you're destroying this city."

**"Why? Because I feel like it, that's why. Well, that and it was the request of the one who resurrected me to cause as much destruction as possible, and I was more than happy to oblige. Been too long since I raised some hell in Assiah."**

"Someone resurrected you? Who?"

**"Never got his name. He was an odd looking fellow though. He wore this weird white armor, and carried around this huge axe with a blade shaped kind of like a gear or something."**

"Do you know if he was a guardian sent by Marluxia?"

**"Don't know, and quite frankly, I don't care."**

"I see...well, if it's not too much trouble, could you call off the army, and maybe point me in the direction of any guardians you may have seen?"

Astaroth raised an eyebrow at her. **"You want me...to send back my army? To spare the humans of this world?"**

Evelyn nodded.

**"And just what will you do if I say no?"**

"Simple. I'll just kill you and the rest of your army."

Astaroth burst out laughing. **"You? Kill me and my army? Just you?"**

"Do you think I'm bluffing?" her eyes turned a fiery bright blue, and her aura magnified to the size of a small building. **"I've fought creatures much more intimidating than you, 'brother'."**

As if to demonstrate, a large cluster of demons spontaneously combusted, followed by another, and another, and again until at least half of Astaroth's forces were destroyed. The huge devil-man watched his army burn without a care in the world, a crazed smile playing onto his lips.

**"Heh, heheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAAHAHAHA HAHAHAAHA!"** he laughed.

Evelyn stopped incinerating demons to wait for him to finish laughing. Astaroth finally stopped after about five minutes.

**"Not bad, little sis. Perhaps you're not quite as much of a 'nice girl' as Yuu tells us. Very well, I'll send my boys back home." ** with a snap of his fingers, the remains of his army vanished. **"Now, about those guardians. Last I heard, there were two dead, and the guy in white I mentioned earlier was looking for the last one. Anything else before I go back to Gehenna?"**

"Actually, there is one thing." the demoness blushed lightly and lowered her eyes as she reached into her hair and pulled out a picture. "Have you seen this girl anywhere recently?"

Astaroth knelt down and looked at the picture. **"Hmmm...a hot vampire gal like her? Nope, sorry. Why you ask? You got the hots for this chick or something?"**

"Something like that..."

The devil-man laughed lightly. **"Well, you've got good taste then. I wish you luck on getting your lady friend." **Astaroth held out his hand, and a small leather book materialized in it. **"Here, perhaps you will find this to be useful."**

Evelyn took the book from his hand cautiously, and gasped when she read the cover: _Various Methods of Demon Mating: How to Seduce Your Luscious Demon Love._

"Th-thank you." she stuttered.

Astaroth laughed haughtily, then a mass of blue flame sprouted around him, and he began to disappear. **"Should you ever need me, all you have to do is call. When you've given up on these filthy humans, I'll be there to help you massacre them." **

With that, Astaroth disappeared back to the odd conversation aside, Evelyn continued to search the ruined city for the remaining guardian. She didn't have to look long though, for soon enough the sound of clashing metal reached her ears, followed shortly by a scream of pain. The demoness turned toward the roof of a nearby building, where the sounds seemed to originate from. Seconds after she did that, a deep and arrogant laughed sounded from up above.

"Come now, Siris, is that the best you can do? Surely the one who defeated Raidriar is capable of more than this!" came a voice after the laugh.

Evelyn paused at the sound. Somehow, the voice sounded very familiar, but she couldn't remember who it belonged to. While she was still in thought, a knight wearing silver armor fell from the roof of the building and crashed into the ground beside her. The knight had a large bloody gash that spread from his shoulder to his waist, and another deep cut down the center of his helmet. Needless to say, the man was dead. Evelyn looked up toward the roof, and saw the silhouette of a tall man who held a large gear shaped battle axe in one hand, and an odd looking sword in the other. It could have been the light of the sun, but it almost seemed as though the man had hair as white as his armor. She decided not to wait around to find out though, because the exit portal appeared just then, and she fled from the man and the ruined world.

* * *

**On the other side...**

* * *

Hisana and Axel's concerned faces were the first things Evelyn saw when she opened her eyes. She remembered hitting her head against something hard upon exiting the portal, and was knocked unconscious almost immediately. Now she found herself lying in a bed inside a dimly lit room, with her friends watching over her. Blinking a few times to ware off the drowsiness, the demoness slowly sat upright to look at Hisana and Axel. Before she could say a word, Hisana caught her in an uncomfortably tight bear hug. Axel just smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I was so worried about you!" Hisana said.

"It's good to see you too, Hisana. And you, Axel."

"Likewise." responded the pyro.

Hisana released her friend and looked at her with tearful eyes. "We hadn't seen you for so long, I was beginning to think something terrible had happened."

"Well, there was this monastery..."

"You were there too?!" Hisana and Axel said in unison.

Evelyn paused in surprise. "Yeah, I was. Are you saying you guys were in that place as well?"

The pyro and vampiress averted their gazes. "Yeah, we were there alright." Axel said for them.

An awkward silence fell over the room as the three remembered their trials.

"Do you want to ta-" Hisana began.

"No." Evelyn responded instantly. "Sorry, I just...there were things that happened that I just can't tell you about."

"It didn't have anything to do with me again, did it?"

Evelyn chuckled lightly. "No, I'm not keeping anymore secrets about you or your heritage." _Other than how much I hate you for being the one she loves...__  
_

Hisana sighed. "That's good. I really don't like it when you keep important secrets like that from me. Don't do it anymore please, okay?"

"(sigh) Alright, I promise...that I will not keep anymore secrets besides the two I've sworn to not reveal until the proper time."

Hisana pouted. "Hey, that's no fair!"

"Relax, they're not things that have to do with you anyway." _Well, at least not one of them..._

"Anyway," Axel said, trying to change the subject. "It looks like you got a new look, Evelyn. Dig the horns."

"Huh? Oh yeah, I forgot about that. As you can see, I'm now a complete demon. As a result of that, I got longer ears, horns, and a new tail." she flicked said tail out from under the covers so they could see.

Hisana looked at the long appendage in awe as a tiny flame lit at its tip. "Wow! That's pretty cool!"

"Hehe, glad you agree." Evelyn then noticed she was not the only one who had undergone a slight change of appearance. "Hey Axel, your tattoos are gone."

The pyro gave her an odd look before realizing she was right. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I'm a complete person again, not just an empty shell."

"It's really too bad though," Hisana said with a sigh. "I always thought those tattoos made you look even more handsome."

Axel chuckled. "Is that so?"

The vampiress and the pyro both laughed lightly. Evelyn did not join them in their cheerfulness, for the longing gaze her friends were sending each other were making her feel uneasy. The demoness cleared her throat, and the others snapped out of their staring.

"Anyway, where exactly are we?"

"We appear to be on some island in the middle of nowhere, and there's this grand fighting tournament going on." Axel explained.

"Another tournament?"

"Not like the one Marluxia's hosting. This one is for the fate of earth, or 'earthrealm' as that Raiden guy we met the other day calls it."

"I see. I take it the guardians of this world are participants in said tournament?"

"It seems that way. I've already beaten one by the name of Scorpion, so there should be two left." Hisana said proudly.

"And I'm scheduled to do battle with some purple ninja dude called Rain tomorrow." added Axel. "Since you're here now, you may as well compete with us. Once I beat Rain, only the big boss should be left."

"Sounds like a plan." Evelyn then let out a deep yawn. "Well, I'm glad you two are alright, so I think I'd like to get to sleep now."

"Yeah, I'm gonna need my strength for my fight. See ya." Axel made his way to the door.

Hisana followed shortly after, exiting just after wishing Evelyn good night. The demoness uneasily slipped back into sleep, still worried as to how close her two friends had gotten in her absence, and what kind of consequences might occur should a certain older sis find out. Later that evening, her throat became too dry to ignore, so Evelyn quietly got out of bed to go get some water. On her way down the hall though, the sound of faint gasps and moans reached her ears. She was about to pass it off as just a pair of late night lovers who were being too loud, when one of the voices rose high enough for her to distinguish.

"Ahhh~Axel...right there..."

The demoness froze where she stood. _No...it couldn't be..._Trembling, she slowly and silently opened the door a crack, and had to cover her mouth to keep from gasping too loud. Just as she had suspected, Axel and Hisana's nude bodies were intertwined, with the short girl letting out gasps of pleasure as the tall man on top of her continued to thrust his hips back and forth. Evelyn turned away just as both lovers cried out their release. The demoness was trembling in fear for a few moments longer before she made her way back to her room. _We're dead...we're so fucking dead...as soon as Shinzo finds out, we're dead..._

* * *

**_Hisana and Axel_**

* * *

The short vampiress breathed softly as she lay against her lover's broad chest.

"That...was amazing..." she whispered.

"Yeah...it sure was..." Axel whispered back.

"...when should we tell Evelyn that we're a couple?"

"Dunno. Judging by the way she usually is, she's probably figured it out already."

"Yeah...that sounds like her."

The two were quiet for a time as they lay beneath the covers. When it became clear that neither of them were really sleepy yet, Axel decided to strike up conversation.

"I've been wondering this for while now, but I notice you carry around that sword everywhere we go." the pyro pointed at Achreios, which lay amongst the rest of their belongings. "And yet, not once have I seen you pull it out. Why is that?"

"That sword belonged to my mother. I made a promise that when it came time for me to face Marluxia, I would use that sword to end him. Well that's one reason, anyway."

"What's the other reason?"

Hisana paused for a moment. "That sword is also the same weapon that killed Yuu."

Axel's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh...I see now. Yeah, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to pull that thing out in front of Evelyn."

Hisana giggled. "Definitely not."

They made a little more light conversation before going for one more round and going to sleep.

* * *

The next day, all of the competing fighters gathered in a courtyard. Axel gave Hisana a quick kiss before heading to the waiting area. As the vampiress took her place in the audience beside Evelyn, she noticed that the demoness was trembling with eyes wide open.

"Evelyn, are you okay?" Hisana asked.

The demoness slowly looked over at her and forced a smile. "Y-yeah, just fine."

"Are you sure? You're shaking like crazy."

"Uh-um, I guess I'm just a little bit nervous for my fight is all." _Y__ou've practically signed Axel and my death warrants, you stupid, horny vampire!_

Hisana gave a look that said she wasn't buying it, but before she could press any further she noticed someone staring straight at her in the crowd. What looked like a young woman a little taller than her with red hair with bangs that hung just over her eyes smiled seductively at the vampiress, and gestured for her to come closer. Although it was clear that it could be a trap, Hisana was confident in her abilities to defend herself. Besides, they were in a wide open space with a ton of people surrounding them, so it wasn't likely that this person would try anything shifty.

"I'll be right back." she said before leaving.

The vampiress eventually made her way through the crowd over to the mysterious girl. Now that she was close, Hisana could see that the girl wore a shirt with a cat on it, along with the printed words "LIKE A BOSS", as well as a blood red scarf around her neck, pants, and sandals. The girl's modern day clothing wasn't the only thing Hisana noticed they had in common. All it took was one look at the girl's insanity filled red eyes and a flash of fanged teeth as she smiled to tell her that she was a vampire. Hisana tensed up as the strange girl extended her hand.

"Wazzup? I'm Felicity, Felicity Ira." she said in a fairly high pitched voice.

Hisana stared straight at the other vampire as she shook her hand. "Hisana Takanashi, pleased to meet you."

"Heh, you're just as polite as I've been told."

"So, why are you spying on me?" Hisana turned toward the fighter's platform. "Are you an agent of Marluxia?"

"Who, Pinky? Nope, I've got nothin to do with him."

"Uh, okay...well are you here to kill me? Because if that's the case..." she drew her zanpakutou an inch from its sheath.

"Unfortunately, I'm not here to have fun. Because if I was..."

Felicity's scarf moved on its own, and a wicked looking combat knife suddenly protruded from it, stopping mere centimeters from Hisana's throat.

"High pain tolerance or not, you'd be dead before you knew it."

Keeping her hand on the hilt of her sword, Hisana glanced over at the redhead from the corner of her eye. "Why are you here, then?"

"I just dropped by to give you a little advice~" Felicity cooed, slowly withdrawing her knife.

"Such as...?"

The madness in the redhead's eyes shone brightly for a moment."Have you ever wondered if he's the only one for you?"

Hisana turned completely toward her in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Can you really be certain that you don't have feelings for anyone else?"

"Wha-who else could I possibly love? Axel's the only one who's ever shown any form of love to me outside my family. Besides, he loves me too."

"Hmm, maybe so. But, are you certain he's the only one who has eyes for you?"

"What are you...saying...?" nervous drops of sweat ran down Hisana's face. "I don't know any other guys who-"

"I never said they were guys..."

Hisana barely held back a surprised yelp as she felt a hand clamp down on her backside, followed immediately by the other snaking around her back and coming to a slow caress on her breasts. Felicity grinned and hummed deviously as the younger girl struggled to remain calm under her ministrations.

"What's so good about guys anyway? When you're with women, you don't have to worry about consequences, and there are so many more ways to make each other feel good too..." she whispered seductively.

"A-Axel is e-enough for me! No g-girl can make me feel as good as he can!" Hisana smacked away the older girl's hands, earning a childish look of hurt in response. "Besides, what girl would possibly be attracted to me?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised to know who wants to get under that little skirt of yours."

"Wait...don't tell me you're-"

Felicity burst out laughing. "Me? Hell no! You're way too small for my tastes. My Rip is all I need to have a good time."

"Well if not you, then who?"

"Let's just say there's a certain someone who's wanted to do you for a loooong time, and they're closer than you'd think."

Hisana went into deep thought. "Someone...close to me..."

"Well, you don't have to listen to me if you don't want to, but just in case you decide to wise up and get in on the fun..." the redhead leaned close and playfully ran her tongue over Hisana's lips. "I've always wanted to have a threesome~"

While the younger vampiress was in shock at the sudden contact, Felicity took out a card and put it in her shirt pocket.

"Just in case you change your mind." the redhead then yawned and turned to leave. "Well, time for me to go. People to kill, babes to bang. And not necessarily in that order. Bye~"

And like that, Felicity disappeared into the crowd. Hisana remained standing in shock for a few more minutes before making her way back to Evelyn. The demoness shot her friend a confused look as she spotted the light blush on her cheeks.

"What happened? Where'd you go?" she asked.

"I just...had to...use the bathroom. Yeah, that's it."

Evelyn rose an eyebrow, but decided not to press the matter further as Axel appeared on one end of the fighters platform. "It's starting."

Hisana nodded, and watched as water and fire collided, signifying the start of the match.

* * *

**Elsewhere, at the same time...**

* * *

A tall figure with short white hair dressed in matching white armor stood looking over the body of a dark skinned young man with gray hair as a portal opened up behind him.

"So, you've returned." said the man in white. "I trust your mission was successful?"

Felicity shrugged her shoulders. "You could say that. At the very least, she seems interested in who her secret admirer could be."

"Good, then all is going as planned." he turned to face her and held out his hand. "Come, and I will give you what was promised."

Felicity strode over to the man and put her hand in his. A surge of energy went from the man to the girl. When it had passed, the man withdrew his hand.

"There, I have now granted you the power to see across worlds, and peer into the minds of others." he said as he turned back to the body.

"Hmm, how should I test this out?" Felicity smiled mischievously as an idea crossed her mind. The vampiress focused for a moment, then blushed and giggled lightly. "Oh Rip, you dirty dirty girl...and you said you threw it away~"

The man rolled his eyes and sighed. _ Fucking lesbians. _"I trust that you will keep the other part of our agreement?"

"Huh? Oh! You betcha. I'll go spread the word to Shinzo right away. But before I go, I have to ask."

"Yes?"

Felicity narrowed her eyes at the man. "Why put me up to this if you know she'll be rejected?"

The man smiled insanely and chuckled. "My dear Felicity, you should know that as well as I do. One does not think rationally when their mind is set on revenge."

The man knelt down beside the body. "Kurai is a fool. He does not realize the truth behind the prophecy. But no matter, it will make my vengeance all the greater once the time comes. And when it does..." he picked up a strange looking object that lay next to the body. "This will be the key to my victory." he shot a mocking glance down at the body. "You won't mind if I borrow this, will you, Xehanort?"

* * *

**Back at the Mortal Kombat tournament...**

* * *

"Rrrrrrraaaah!" Evelyn yelled as she delivered a final, fatal, hellfire enhanced punch to Shao Kahn's face.

The lord of Outworld cried out in pain and disbelief before his head flew from his shoulders, leaving his battered and bruised body to collapse to the floor of the arena. Upon the tyrant's defeat, the audience broke out in cheers. Hisana and Axel shouted praises from the front of the crowd. Since the pyro had been victorious in his duel with Rain, only Shao Kahn had been left. Now that Evelyn had bested him, the world was free from Marluxia's hold. The overseer's hologram appeared and made it's usual announcement, and a portal leading to the next world was opened. However, since the trio was exhausted (for various reasons), they decided to put off traveling until the next day. However, that night, as they celebrated in Axel and Hisana's room, something strange happened.

**"Are you enjoying yourselves, everyone?"** a childish voice asked out of nowhere.

The group turned to see Kyubey perched atop a post at the foot of the bed.

"What the-who are you?" asked Hisana.

**"My name is not important. All that you need to know is that I have come here to give you that which you desire most."**

"What do you mean by that?" everyone prepared to summon their weapons.

**"I am here to grant your wish. Tell me what your heart desires, and I will make it a reality."**

"You...grant wishes?"

Kyubey nodded. **"I do. As a worker of miracles, I am capable of fulfilling any wish, no matter what it may be."**

"...could you give us a minute?"

**"Sure, take all the time you need."**

The trio edged away from the incubator and huddled.

"What do you think about this? Should we trust him?" Hisana asked.

"I don't know, this could be a trap set by Marluxia." Evelyn noted.

**"I assure you, this is no trap."**

The trio leapt back in surprise at seeing Kyubey suddenly appear in the middle of them.

**"Perhaps you need some convincing? How about one of you gives me a wish, so I can prove to you my capabilities."**

The group looked at each other, mentally asking each other whether or not to accept the challenge. Axel nodded his head and stepped forward.

"Alright then Mr. Miracle Worker, how 'bout this: I wish that my old friend Roxas came back to life."

**"Just a moment** **please." **a few seconds passed. **"Done."**

There was not a trace of the nobody.

"Well where is he?" demanded Axel.

**"He awaits you on the other side of the portal."**

"Bullshit."

**"Don't believe me? Tale a look."**

A ball of transparent energy appeared in front of the group, and within it was none other than Roxas, lying fast asleep in what appeared to be an abandoned hotel room.

"Roxas!"

**"Do not worry, he will be untouched by danger while he sleeps. I promise you that."**

"I...I see...thank you..."

**"Now that you have seen my power, will you also make a wish? I can sense how determined you are to see your desire fulfilled."**

Kyubey seemed to be speaking directly to Hisana. The vampiress saw the relieved expression on Axel's face when he saw his friend alive and well again, and decided that if it would put her burdens at ease, then it was worth a shot.

"Very well then. I wish to see my mother and father return as well."

If he could change his expression, Kyubey would be giving a nightmare inducing smile right at that moment. **"I thought you'd say that. I am pleased to say that half of your wish has already been fulfilled, even without my assistance. Your father lives at this very moment in the city of Windbloom."**

Hisana's eyes widened. "My father is alive?! That's wonderful!"

**"Now, as for your mother, it will take me a few moments." **barely a minute passed. **"All finished."**

"Where is she? Is my mother waiting for me in the next world as well?"

**"Yes. At least, one of them is, anyway..."**

"Wait, what do you mean 'one of them'?"

**"Your mother, the woman known as Ebony, was originally three separate beings. When you told me to bring her back, she split back into separate beings. All three of them are in different places."** the incubator suddenly tilted his head to the side. **"Hmm? What's this? It seems an unexpected anomaly has appeared, so now there are four beings that were connected to** **Ebony."**

"I have...four mothers?!"

**"It would seem that way, yes."**

The vampiress nearly fainted from the surprise. _This is going to be a lot more difficult now..._

Now the only one left was Evelyn. While Axel tried to calm down Hisana, she approached the incubator.

"You said that you can do anything, right?" she whispered nervously.

**"That is correct."**

"Then, could you..."

**"No."**

Evelyn stared in surprise at Kyubey. "But I haven't even-"

**"I know what you want, but I cannot give it to you. It is not because it is impossible, it is because there is simply no need for me to interfere with what is already destined to happen."**

Hope appeared in the demoness's eyes. "Then, you mean to say that she-"

Kyubey's smile seemed to widen. **"You will see soon enough."**

With that, the incubator disappeared. The next day, after everyone had recovered from the previous night's strange visitor, the trio entered the portal. Though there was much confusion in the air, one thing remained clear: their journey was finally nearing its end.

* * *

**Karakura Town, meanwhile...**

* * *

A young girl with short pigtails and sapphire eyes bolted upright from where she lay. The girl gasped for breath a few times before feeling all over herself with her hands. She gasped when her hands found the center of her chest, only to find no injury whatsoever.

"I'm...alive? But how?" she said.

The girl looked around at her surroundings. She was sitting beside a familiar river that ran through a familiar small town. She froze when she saw her reflection in the clear river water.

"I'm...split again?"

"You there..." a deeper and all too familiar voice said.

The girl turned around to see a slightly taller woman with dark hair and violet eyes wearing a black robe. The woman held a pure white katana with a ribbon trailing from its hilt.

"Do I...know you?"

* * *

**The Otherworld, at the same time...**

* * *

_Where...am I?_ a woman thought as she opened her eyes. She found herself staring into a starless black sky with a bright full moon hanging overhead. _The sky...its darker than I remember...and, when was there a moon?_ realization suddenly dawned on the woman. _Could it be?!_ the woman sat up, and took in her surroundings. She was in what appeared to be the ruins of a once great fortress made of white crystal. The woman then took in her form. She was wearing white knee high combat boots, short shorts with the zipper partially undone, a white jacket with a black star on the back and black stripes down the arms, and the only thing beneath her jacket was a white bra over her small yet noticeable bosom. The woman laid her hand on the ground, and felt its roughness. _I...I can feel! Then, it must be true!_

**"At long last..." **she said as she lay back down and stared at the sky. **"Finally, I AM FREEEEEEE!"**

"No..." another voice, somewhat softer, spoke.

The woman in white turned to see a pair of amber eyes gazing fondly down at her.

"_We_, are free."

* * *

**5 Guardians Remaining...**

* * *

**A/N:** Felicity Ira belongs to Lonewolf685. Be sure to check out his story, Millenium's New Cat, for all the juicy details on this awesome OC. Please continue to read and review! Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: The End of a Dream (Part 1)**

* * *

**The Otherworld, shortly after…**

* * *

_**Shinzo**_

* * *

The newly fledged demoness walked swiftly across the endless and barren expanse of the Otherworld. For some reason, the overwhelming darkness of the world gave her a sort of homely feeling, as though the place were her natural environment. Aside from this, only one other thought crossed her mind: Hisana. Now that she has finally severed the link between her and the younger girl, she was deadset on finding her and finally confessing her feelings. Then, once she got her answer, she would figure out how to use her recently acquired 'extra part'. The very thought of the two of them together at last caused her to quicken her pace. While she was walking along, the sudden sound of a duel reached her ears. Using her heightened sense of smell, the demoness picked up two supernatural entities nearby, one of which was very familiar. Curious, Shinzo quickly made her way around a pile of debris. A short ways below her, in the shattered remains of a building, two figures stood engaged in combat. One of them was a black haired girl with red eyes who wore a kimono with moving flowers on it. The other she recognized as Xalir, her former ally whom she had thought to be dead. _So this is where he ended up. Without a doubt that girl is a guardian, then._ She watched the girl levitate into the air and hurl a barrage of fireballs and flaming wheels with heads at the soulless boy. Xalir merely swatted the attacks aside and charged toward the girl, scepter at the ready. The girl struggled in vain to prevent him from landing a blow against the side of her head, sending her crashing into the ground. The girl tried to rise, but went limp as soon as a second, final blow caved in her skull.

**"You were a fool, Ai Enma, to believe that you stood a chance against me."** Xalir said as he stood over the fallen guardian.

"Glad to see you're doing well, Xalir." Shinzo said as she revealed herself. "And here I had thought you'd finally gone up and died."

The soulless turned to her and whistled. **"Well, you've certainly changed since we split. You still trying to get into your little sister's pants?"**

"Actually, she's not my sister anymore. I've finally gotten my wish, I've severed all blood relations to her. That is the reason why I have been given this new form."

**"Really? Well, good luck getting her then. I think I've finally gathered enough power from killing this bitch to accomplish my goals, so I'm out of here."**

Without even saying goodbye, Xalir disappeared. Shinzo felt nothing at the loss of the soulless, and continued on her way without a second thought. Some time later, she entered what looked like a ruined metropolis. As she wandered from building to building, she picked up another familiar scent. This one, however, was not welcome in the slightest. In fact, just the mere idea of her smelling it drove her mad with rage. _He was dead...there was no way he could have escaped from all of that hellfire and survived losing all of his souls!_ she thought as she summoned her weapons. Turning around, the demoness pointed her blades at the presence she sensed behind her. However, it was not the no-life king she had expected to see. Instead, her eyes were met with those of a redhaeded girl with a red scarf, a t-shirt with the words "LIKE A BOSS" printed on it, pants, and sandals. The girl stared back with mad red eyes similar to her own, and raised her hands in defense.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm your tits, Shinzo! I didn't come here to do anything funny!" the girl said in a high voice. Then she added with a sly smirk. "That is, unless you're feeling frisky..."

Shinzo just glared at the girl in response. "You reek of Alucard. Who the fuck are you, and why do you know my name?"

At hearing the word 'Alucard', the girl tensed slightly. "Don't ever mention the name of that bastard again." she said in an unusually dark tone before reverting back to her normal one. "My name is Felicity Ira, I've come to talk with you about Hisana."

Shinzo's blades edged closer to the redhead. "You people really are determined to keep her from me, aren't you?"

"On the contrary, I'm here to support you."

The demoness paused at this. "What...?"

"Are you deaf or something? I said I'm encouraging you to pursue your heart's desire."

Shinzo was unsure how to respond. No one had ever approved of her feelings, not even her best friend. And yet this strange girl, Felicity, whom she had just met, was telling her to keep reaching toward her goal.

"You're lying. No one approves of my feelings, no one sees my love for Hisana as anything other than a sin! How could you possibly understand how I feel?"

"Because I too have a love seeped in sin." Felicity responded without a second thought. "I don't have a younger sister to fall for, but the person who's closest to my heart isn't exactly what most people would call an ideal partner either."

"Oh really? Then what's so bad about the one you love?"

"She's a Nazi. And a vampire."

Again, Shinzo was stunned at the girl's words. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

The demoness lowered her weapons slightly. "All this time...I thought I was the only one with black desires..."

Felicity smiled and finally dropped her hands to her sides. "You're not alone, Shinzo. There will always be people like us, those who are outcasted by society and hated for the things we love. Now as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I've got an important message to deliver regarding Hisana."

Reluctantly, Shinzo put away her weapons and let the vampiress approach. Felicity smirked deviously and leaned close to the demoness.

"There's still hope for the two of you to be together. I can say for a fact that Hisana is not opposed to the idea of having a female partner. And if that douche Axel gets in the way, just get rid of him."

**"You took the words right out of my mouth, vampire."** a new voice said.

Shinzo and Felicity turned to see a woman around the same height as Shinzo with ebony hair and a suit of sinister looking black armor from the neck down reclining against a pile of rubble. The woman turned her pale skinned face toward the others and opened her eyes, which had ringed blood red irises. Her face was exactly the same as Shinzo's. Felicity stared in confusion at the woman, while Shinzo recognized her upon seeing her face.

"You...you're the one from my dream!" the demoness exclaimed.

The knight smiled wickedly. **"That's correct. We finally meet face to face, my other half."**

It was obvious that things were about to get very weird, and since she had finished her job Felicity just bade the demoness and the knight goodbye before leaving. Shinzo stared at her look alike for a few moments in confusion.

"Other...half? What are you talking about?" she said.

**"This world is a place where everyone's pain and torment are all thrust upon a duplicate of themselves. Whenever someone is born in a different world, a counterpart to that person is created here to take on their hardships. I am your other self, Gaia Knight."**

The knight walked over to her counterpart and put her hands on her shoulders. **"Since the beginning, I have watched you struggle for the one you love, I have watched you cry, and I have watched you lament over the hurtful words of those who detest your love. When you were near death and began to lose hope, I would always give you the push you needed to continue."**

"You mean to say...that all this time...the force that kept me going...that was you?"

Gaia nodded. **"Most other-selves think only of the power they gain from how much pain the hearts of their counterparts endure. But, I am different. Instead of wanting you to suffer, I wanted you to become happy. After all that's happened to you, you deserve to have her by your side."**

Shinzo could feel hope rising within her, but there was still something that faltered her resolve. "What if...she doesn't love me back? What if she rejects me?"

Gaia paused for a moment, then continued. **"She cannot reject you. How can she, when you are no longer her sister? When you have become so beautiful? When you have suffered so much for her sake? If she does deny you, then all you will have to do is show her how good you can make her feel."** the knight turned to the side. **"She has arrived in this world."**

Shinzo sniffed the air for a moment. Sure enough, the heavenly aroma of her former sibling's scent hung on the air. "She's finally come back to me."

Gaia let go of her counterpart and stepped to the side. **"Go, it is time to tell her the truth."**

Shinzo nodded, then bolted in the direction of the scent. _Wait for me, Hisana! Very soon now, we will finally be together!_

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

* * *

_**Hisana's Group**_

* * *

The party of four let out a collective sigh as they stopped to rest in the remains of an old castle. Hisana made light conversation with Roxas as Axel treated his wounds. When they had found the blonde nobody, he had awoken and attacked them on sight. As it turned out, Kyubey had brought Roxas back as a guardian for Marluxia. Though hesitant to cause much harm to the boy, the combined strength of Hisana, Axel, and Evelyn had defeated him. Fortunately, his injuries were not fatal, though he would not be able to due battle for some time thanks to some broken ribs and a broken arm. While they journeyed across the terrain of the Otherworld, Hisana had introduced herself to Roxas, and to her surprise he wished her no ill will, and the two of them became good friends. Now they were currently searching for the next guardian, or hopefully, one of Hisana's mothers who had allegedly ended up here. While everyone else rested, Evelyn decided to keep watch out in the courtyard. Though she could now suppress the internal terror she felt, she was still worried. Not because of the inhabitants of this world, but because she had picked up the presence of a certain older sis shortly before they had entered the castle. The presence was rapidly drawing near, and Evelyn knew that only calamity could follow when Shinzo arrived and learned of the present relationship of Hisana and Axel. Still, she had to try and stop her if she could. Hopefully, since she had chosen to come out and see Shinzo first, she could not only prevent a disaster, but also finally convey her true feelings. As a silhouette appeared on the edge of her vision, Evelyn took a deep breath and stood in the middle of the courtyard,waiting.

"Hello, Evelyn. It's been awhile." Shinzo said as she entered the courtyard.

Upon catching sight of her altered body, Evelyn gasped. "Shinzo? Is that...is that really you?"

Shinzo nodded. "Yes, Evelyn. It's me."

"Wha-what happened to you?"

The younger demoness smiled and stretched out her arms, displaying her entire figure. "Do you like it? This is my new body, the body of a Koutari, just like you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Shinzo smiled with mad joy shining in her red/amber eyes. "I have finally been granted my wish. I am no longer of the Takanashi bloodline. Now I am Shinzo Koutari, your new sister."

Evelyn froze. _My__...sis...ter? No...no please...please tell me this isn't happening_... "But, if you're my sister, then-"

"Yes, now that I have severed our blood ties, I can finally reveal my love to Hisana. Isn't this great, Evelyn? I can finally be happy with Hisana, and you and I can still keep our friendship as siblings."

The elder Koutari felt her heart begin to break inside. She was losing the one she loved to Hisana, _**again. **_Evelyn could see the blissful expression on Shinzo's face at merely thinking about her future. The urge to tell Shinzo about Hisana's feelings for Axel started to rise, and the bitter jealousy she held toward her friend was only climbing higher by the second.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a love to share." Shinzo said, snapping Evelyn back to reality.

"Wait! There's something I have to tell you!"

Shinzo was already walking past her. "It'll have to wait until later."

Evelyn took hold of her arm. "No, it can't wait. It's really important!"

Shinzo scowled and tore her arm from her grasp. "Nothing is more important to me than telling her how I feel!"

Evelyn ran in front of Shinzo and stopped.

"Move." Shinzo demanded.

Evelyn shook her head.

The younger girl bared her teeth. "I said move!"

"Not until you hear what I have to say!"

"Evelyn, move aside!"

"No! I won't let you hurt yourself like this!"

"Evelyn..." she growled.

"Why must it be her? She doesn't want you, so why don't you just give up-"

_SMACK!_

The next thing Evelyn knew, she was on the ground, with a large bruise on her cheek. Shinzo's mixed colored eyes glared down at her in rage, and she summoned her zanpakutou when the older girl began to stir.

"Stay out of my way, Evelyn. If you don't, I'll have to kill you too."

Evelyn remained motionless, still in shock. As she heard the younger girl walk away, tears began strolling down her cheeks.

"Why..." she whispered to herself. "Why couldn't it be me?"

* * *

"Still no sign of her." Hisana said sadly.

She and Axel were currently sitting on a bed in what they decided was their room for the time being. Axel put a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder for reassurance.

"Hey, don't worry about it. We'll find your mom, I know we will." he said softly.

Hisana giggled and smiled up at him. "You always know what to say to make everything better."

"It's what I do best."

At this, they closed the distance. Their kisses began to get more intense, when suddenly...

"Axel!" Roxas called from his room down the hall.

Axel groaned in annoyance. "(sigh) I better go see what he needs."

Hisana nodded. "Yeah, you should."

Axel reluctantly got up to leave. "Goddammit Roxas." he muttered as he left, closing the door behind him.

Hisana reclined on the bed, letting out a deep sigh. _Aw man...and I was starting to get in the mood too..._

"Finally, I thought he'd never leave." a voice suddenly said.

Hisana bolted upright at the sound. Though it had been more than three months since sh had last heard it, she immediately recognized the voice.

"Nee-chan?! Is that you?"

"Yes..."

Before the vampiress could ask where her sibling was, a pair of strong and slender arms wrapped around her, and she felt hot breaths against her cheeck as the voice whispered in her ear.

"I finally found you, Hisana."

Despite the slight discomfort she felt from her sibling's actions, Hisana's excitement at having heard Shinzo's voice for the first time in a while caused her to turn around to face her. However, upon seeing her older sister's form, her excitement turned to fear and confusion.

"N-Nee-chan? Why do you look like that?"

"Oh, so you've noticed?" Shinzo ran her hand through a lock of her snow white hair. "What do you think? Does it suit me?"

"Y-yes, nee-chan, you look...beautiful..."

"I'm glad. I went through a lot of trouble to get like this. But just hearing that from you makes me feel so much better."

Shinzo loomed over Hisana, gazing at her with lust filled eyes.

"H-Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" the intensity of the gaze discomforted her.

"Because, Hisana..." Shinzo brought her face within a few inches of the younger girl's. "I love you."

Hisana froze. Felicity's cryptic message played again in her head. _There's someone who's wanted you for a long time, and they're closer to you than you'd think..._ Horror coursed through her being at that. _Could she have meant...? No, but that's impossible! She's my sister!__  
_

"I-I love you too, nee-chan. It's good to see you again after so long." she said fearfully.

"No, I don't think you understand." the demoness cupped Hisana's cheek and brought their faces even closer. "Hisana, _**I love**** you**_."

The vampiress was trembling now. Somehow, the lustful look in her sibling's eyes seemed to intensify. Shinzo began to gently caress the younger girl's cheek, savoring how soft the feel of it was.

"I've been wanting to tell you that for a long time now, but I was too afraid that you'd reject me. I was your sister, after all. That's why when this tournament began, I left to fight the guardians and find a way to break the bonds between us. It was hard, and I nearly died more than once, but I finally got my wish. Now I am Shinzo Koutari, a demon, and sister to Evelyn. That is why I look the way I do now. Since I'm no longer your sibling, I was finally able to come clean about my feelings."

Shinzo put her hands on Hisana's shoulders.

"I love you so much. Now, please tell me: now that we are no longer siblings, now that we are finally reunited," she gazed deeply into the younger girl's eyes. "Do you love me?"

The vampiress could see the hope in the older girl's eyes, and how badly she wanted her to say 'yes'. But, even if she had changed, even if everything Shinzo had said was true, this was something she could not lie about, no matter how much she wanted to. Composing herself as best she could, Hisana took hold of Shinzo's hands and pulled them away.

"No. I'm really sorry Shinzo, but I just don't love you like that."

The demoness stiffened, the hopeful smile vanished from her lips. _**I don't love you.**_Shinzo thought she heard glass cracking somewhere inside her. The happy future she had foreseen began to fade, her hope disappearing along with it. Hisana stared worriedly at the demoness, who had been sitting with a shocked expression on her face for two minutes now.

"N-Nee-chan?" she stuttered.

Tears started streaming down Shinzo's face.

"Ah! I'm sor-"

"Why..." the older girl said in barely more than a whisper.

"What?"

"Why?" she took a firm hold on the younger girl's arms. "Why don't you love me?"

Hisana paused in surprise.

"Am I not good enough for you?"

"N-no, that's not it..."

_Crack_

"Is it because we used to be sisters?"

"Well, that doesn't help, but it's not it either..."

_Crack_

"Is it because I'm a girl?"

"No, that would be hypocritical of our family..."

_Crack_

"Then why? Why can't you love me like I love you? Tell me why!"

Hisana said nothing, too ashamed to speak the words herself. The younger girl averted her eyes and turned away from the older girl.

"Hisana?"

The vampiress called on all the courage she had just to meet Shinzo's tear filled gaze.

"I...already love someone else."

_Shatter_

The demoness was shaking with fear and pain. Her chest suddenly felt empty, and she could no longer hear her heartbeat. She knew what the younger girl meant by her words, and she couldn't believe it. Hisana had denied her feelings, and instead had chosen to be with a shell of a man who had no heart. He wasn't even supposed to exist! And yet, she had still fallen for him instead of her. The words of everyone who had spoken against her feelings came crashing down on Shinzo, and she could feel herself crumbling under the truth as she went limp.

_"She...rejected me...she loves him instead...they were right...all of them were right..."_

_**"No..."**_

Shinzo's eyes widened in surprise.

_"Gaia?!"_

**_"You've worked too hard for this...she doesn't get to reject you!"_**

Against her will, the demoness rose back to her feet. Hisana stared at Shinzo in regret and worry.

"Shinzo?"

The older girl's eyes had entered a doll like state, and were void of any emotion. Without saying a word, Shinzo grabbed Hisana by the collar of her shirt and pulled her close.

"W-what are you-"

Before she could finish, Shinzo closed the distance. Hisana could only stare with wide eyes full of shock and horror at the contact. Although she could not see it, Shinzo held the same expression.

_**"Perhaps once she's had a taste of what you can do, she'll reconsider..."**_

The vampiress grunted in protest and struggled to free herself from the demoness's grasp, but instead found herself being pulled further into the kiss. Involuntarily, Shinzo stuck out her tongue to deepen the kiss. Hisana was caught by surprise, and the older girl's tongue slid inside her mouth. Despite the pleasure she was feeling from the exchange, Shinzo could easily see that the younger girl did not want this.

_"Gaia, this is your doing isn't it?"_

**_"I told you before, I am always there when I am needed."_**

_"But I don't need your help! Nor do I want it! Stop it, Hisana doesn't want this!"_

**_"Oh, are you sure you want to stop? Because it seems to me that you're enjoying it..."_**

While Shinzo struggled with her feelings, her body pushed Hisana onto the bed, and drove a hand towards the girl's chest. Still struggling to get away from the demoness, Hisana watched in horror as Shinzo tore open her shirt. She managed to break their kissing for a moment.

"Stop! Let me go!" she cried.

"Hisana!" Axel's voice came from outside the door.

"Axel! Help me!"

Shinzo's gaze flitted to the door at the sound of the knob turning.

_**"Oh no you**** don't."**_

Large black vines suddenly sprouted up from the floor and pressed the door shut. After Axel failed to break it down by ramming it a few times, the demoness turned back to her victim, who was currently squirming and trying to push her off.

_**"That's enough out of you, too."**_

Shinzo grabbed the younger girl's hands and held them above her. In an instant, black vines wrapped tightly around the girl's wrists, keeping them in place. Satisfied with the restraint, Shinzo then turned her attention back to Hisana's chest. With one swipe, she tore the remains of the younger girl's shirt from her body, revealing a blue laced bra underneath. Though they were still blank, Hisana could now see at least one emotion in the older girl's eyes: absolute lust. The vampiress watched helplessly as the demoness reached down and ripped off the bra, exposing her breasts. As the hungry look in Shinzo's eyes intensified, she cried out in fear.

"No! Shinzo, stop!" she cried as the demoness began to caress her naked bosom.

"Hisana! Hang on, I'm coming!" Axel summoned his chakrams and tried to burn down the door.

In response, Shinzo threw up a barrier of hellfire in front of the entrance, causing the pyro to back away.

_**"Stand aside, pest! Leave me to my work and it will be over soon."**_

_"It should be over now! Gaia, give me back my body!"_

**_"Not until she's screaming in ecstasy! Besides, isn't this what you've always wanted?"_**

_"Not like this...I swore to myself that I'd never force her..."_

**_"Ugh! You are so weak! Stop complaining and listen!"_**

Shinzo's body removed a hand from one breast only to put her mouth over it instead. Hisana cried out and mewled under her ministrations, barely resisting the pleasure she was feeling despite the situation. Shinzo continued to lick, suck, and caress her chest until she decided she done enough. The demoness sat up and began to undo the straps around her waist armor.

_**"Now, it's time to finish this."**_

_"No...Gaia, don't you dare! Anything but that!"_

Shinzo's lower garments sank to her knees, and Hisana froze in absolute terror upon seeing what lay beneath.

"You've gotta be kidding...don't tell me you're...no, please, not that!" she screamed.

Shinzo slowly reached for the hem of the younger girl's skirt.

_"Stop! No more!"_

**_"There's no point in stopping now that we've come this far. I'm going to enjoy this..."_**

_"You won't be enjoying anything! Let go of her!"_

**_"She obviously loves it. I'm just giving her what she wants."_**

Shinzo pulled down the skirt a little ways, then stopped when she heard what sounded like sniffling. The demoness looked up to see tears streaming down Hisana's pain stricken face. The younger girl had her eyes closed and was crying softly.

"I hate you." she said hoarsely.

On the outside, Shinzo had paused in sheer shock. On the inside, she was screaming.

_"NOOOOOOOOOO!"_

**_"Shut up! She won't hate you for long, once you've put it in- hey, what's going on? What are you doing?!"_**

_"GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GO AWAY!"_

On the outside, Hisana was unhappily waiting for Shinzo to hurry and just finish what she started, but to her surprise she felt no effort from the demoness to remove her lower clothing. Somewhat relieved but still unsure, the vampiress slowly lifted her head up to look at the older girl. Shinzo's eyes were less vacant now, and had tears flooding from them as they filled to the brim with pain. The demoness was using one hand to keep the other from completely disrobing Hisana.

"Not...like this..." she whispered. "I didn't...want it...to be like this..."

"S-Shinzo?"

"Get out of my head...stop hurting her...stop making her cry...get out of my head!"

With a final cry of anguish, Shinzo flung herself away from the younger girl and drove her counterpart from her mind. The vines binding Hisana's hands disappeared, as did the hellfire surrounding the door. Axel burst into the room with weapons raised. Upon catching sight of his girlfriend, he immediately rushed to her side and threw his arms around her.

"Hisana! Are you alright?" he asked fearfully.

"I-I'll be fine, Shinzo stopped before she could-"

"Shinzo?! Your sister did this to you?"

"Yes but-"

Axel's eyes lit up with fury. "Where is she?"

The pyro got his answer when the sound of loud sobs reached his ears. He and Hisana turned to the corner of the room, where Shinzo lay curled up in a fetal position with her hands over her face. Too blinded by rage to think rationally, Axel strode over to the demoness with his weapons ablaze.

"Why the hell are you crying? You're the one who tried to rape her!" he roared.

"I know what I did!" came a muffled cried.

Axel hesitated at hearing the anguish in her tone.

"I promised myself that I'd never force my feelings on her...and now, because I couldn't control myself, I've hurt her! I made her cry!"

The pyro's hatred turned to disgust. "You're in love...with your own sister?!"

"Yes! I love her! I've always loved her! That's why...that's why I had to change my bloodline, so that she could accept my love!" through a gap between her fingers, she looked up at Axel. "But because of you, that love is impossible! She can't love me, because there is no more room in her heart...she chose you, an empty shell of a person who has no heart, instead of me..."

"You tried to rape her! Exactly which one of us has no heart?"

Shinzo hid her face again. "I never wanted it to be like this...I never wanted to hurt her...I only wanted her to smile...I only wanted her to love me..." her cries grew louder. "No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, she will never love me!"

By this time, Evelyn had recovered from her earlier confrontation, and was now standing in the doorway watching Shinzo cry out her pain. Though she had only recently entered the room, he had heard everything. Shinzo saw the older demoness out of the corner of her eye, and slowly began to rise.

"You were right, Evelyn...so was Alucard, and Kurai, and father...all of you were right...the love I long for is impossible..."

Trembling with pain, Shinzo rose to her feet and slowly made her way to where her discarded waist and crotch piece lay before picking them up. As she redressed herself, the other occupants in the room felt an odd sense of guilt. (at least, for Axel and Hisana anyway) Shinzo turned back to address everyone, and they all gasped upon seeing her eyes. There was no life to be found in the young demoness's tearful gaze. The only things that remained were pain and emptiness. Despite what had just occurred, Hisana wished only to comfort her former sibling. Covering her chest with one arm, she reached toward the girl.

"Don't come near me!" Shinzo snapped. "Please...I can't bear to watch you suffer again...I don't think I can stop myself a second time..."

"Nee-chan..."

"This is the last time you'll see me. I won't chase after you anymore." Shinzo turned away from the others. "Now that I know for certain that it's hopeless, I will disappear forever. Without you, there's no reason for me to continue existing...I know I won't be missed..." she shot a look of hurt at the vampiress out of the corner of her eye. "You hate me, after all."

With that, the young demoness bolted from the room. Worriedly, Evelyn chased after her.

"Shinzo, wait!" she tried.

But it was too late. The hall was empty when she went out the door. Shinzo was gone.

"I never got to say 'I love you'..." she whispered softly.

Back inside the room, Axel was trying to comfort a guilty looking Hisana.

"It's not your fault. How could you have known she felt that way?" he tried.

"I should have seen it...she was always trying to get closer to me..."

"She'll come back. I know she's...well, I don't know anything else I can say but devastated. Even so, once some time has passed, she'll be back."

_SMACK! _

Both Axel and Hisana stared in shock at the palm shaped bruise that was forming on the pyro's cheek. Slowly recovering, Axel turned to see Evelyn glaring at him. The anger in her amber eyes was bordering on turning them blue.

"What the hell was that for?" demanded the pyro.

"The same reason you tried to protect Hisana..." the demoness growled.

She turned away from them and started to quickly walk toward the door.

"I can't stand seeing the one I love hurt."

Before either of her friends could ask her what she meant, the demoness fled from the building as fast as she could, immediately activating her heightened senses. She knew that Shinzo was planning to do more than just run away. _I have to find her...I have to tell her the truth...I can't let her die!_

* * *

**3 Guardians Remaining...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: The End of a Dream (Part 2)**

* * *

**Somewhere in the Otherworld, shortly after…**

* * *

_**Hisana**_

* * *

"Can you see anything?" Hisana called.

From where he stood high upon the roof of a demolished building, Axel sadly shook his head.

"Nothing. There's no sign of either of them."

The vampiress let out a worried sigh. "Alright, you can come down then."

She felt a soft hand place itself on her shoulder, and turned to see Roxas giving her a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry Hisana, we'll find them." he said softly.

It had been nearly three hours since Evelyn had stormed off to look for Shinzo. Once again, Hisana felt guilty for not realizing her best friend's true feelings until it was too late. Without saying them outright, the demoness had revealed her last two secrets. One being that she was deeply in love with Shinzo, and the other being her resentment toward Hisana for being the sole object of Shinzo's desire. Axel also felt guilty, for he had unintentionally caused great hurt to the demoness who had remained kind to him and Hisana despite how she felt.

"I just don't get it though." he thought out loud as he came down from his perch. "If Evelyn knew about Shinzo's feelings for you this whole time, why didn't she try to stop you and I from getting together?"

"Knowing her, she probably wanted there to be some way for both me and Shinzo to be happy, even if it cost her own happiness in the process." the vampiress gazed down at the floor. "She never really cared about what happened to herself, and now because of that she's gone...I've caused her so much pain for so long..."

As much as he wanted to say something to make her feel better, Axel found himself at an unusual loss for words. The best thing they could do right now was keep searching. The tall pyro gave his girlfriend a caring hug.

"When we find her, we'll both apologize. But we can't keep searching for much longer, I can tell you need some rest. How about we search the next area, then call it a day?"

He felt her nod in approval against his chest, and smiled softly. The three of them walked on for a bit longer until they came upon a rather strange part of the world. For once, there was color in the sky above. However, the blood red lighting only served to make the new area seem unwelcome to outsiders. As they walked through what appeared to be a cross between a castle and a garden, they noticed large black vines covered in thorns stretched over most of the walls and passages of the building. Eventually they entered a large circular room with red heart shaped stained glass windows along the walls. For some reason, all of the windows were broken on one side. Hisana let out a loud gasp when she saw that there were images on the broken pieces, all of which were of her. The images on the mostly intact portions of the windows were of Shinzo in her human form. In each image, the older girl was either on the verge of tears or was knelt down with her face buried in her hands.

**"Have you come to admire your handiwork, you ungrateful little bitch?"**

All three of the room's occupants turned in surprise upon hearing the sound. Although it was a little deeper, the voice was nearly identical to Shinzo's. A woman with black hair, red eyes, ghostly pale skin, and sinister looking black armor emerged from the shadows of the room. To both Axel and Hisana's surprise, the woman's face was exactly the same as Shinzo's. The knight was clenching both her hands into fists, and glared straight at Hisana.

**"Awful, isn't it, seeing the current state of her heart? How does it feel to know that all of this was caused by you?"** the woman said.

"Her heart...? Wait, who are you?" Hisana said, drawing her zanpakutou.

**"My name is Gaia Knight. I am the other-self of Shinzo Koutari. Another side of her, if you will."**

"What were you talking about when you said 'her heart'? Does this place have anything to do with Shinzo?"

**"This place is the manifestation of Shinzo's emotional pain and suffering. It is a world that exists within her, a place where she can put away all of her doubts and fears and live a happy life in reality. This is where I was born." **Gaia gestured toward the windows. **"These windows represent her hopes and dreams. When her heart broke, so too did her hope for a happy future with you."**

"I...did this?"

**"You're damn right you did! You have no idea how much she sacrificed for you, all for the sake of winning your love! She fought for you, she bled for you, she even died for you! And when she finally got her wish, when she finally had the courage to tell you how she felt, you spat in her face! All she ever wanted was your love, but you just couldn't give it to her, could you?"**

Hisana was hesitant to respond, so Axel took her place. "Where is Shinzo now? If you're a part of her, you should know where she ran away to."

**"Running away? Is that the only thing you got from her? You fucking idiots, she's not just running away! Hisana was her sole reason for existing, and now that Shinzo knows she can never have her, she's lost her will to live!"**

Hisana's eyes widened in horror. "No...you can't mean-"

**"She's going to kill herself!"**

The trio all froze. Hisana began to shake with fear. She knew her rejection had hurt Shinzo, but she hadn't expected her to react so extremely. Gaia continued to glare at her, seething with barely restricted anger. Hisana fell to her knees in sorrow.

"No...I didn't want that...I didn't want her to die..." she said tearfully.

**"Then what the fuck did you want? You told her you hated her, and to Shinzo that means you've brought her worst fear to life! To her, there is no longer any hope for the love she wanted! What better way is there to disappear completely than to die?"** the knight's glare softened by a fraction as she closed her eyes. **"Lucky for us, Shinzo is pretty damn hard to kill. It'll take her some time to figure out an effective method of suicide. I don't want to disappear, and she doesn't deserve to go out like this..."**

Gaia summoned her twin greatswords and struck a combat stance similar to that of her counterpart. The other-self opened her enraged red eyes and smiled insanely at the vampiress.

**"It seems that once again I must take matters into my own hands. I'll bring you back to her, even if I have to break every bone in your body!"**

The knight burst towards Hisana with swords raised. Just before the blades collided, they were stopped by the sudden appearance of chakrams and a keyblade. Though it took a tremendous amount of effort, Axel and Roxas managed to push aside the large weapons. Gaia grit her teeth and leapt back.

**"I don't have time to play with you two. Valkyrie!" **she called.

As if on command, a lightly armored woman with white hair carrying a spear and shield flew dashed in front of the knight and slashed at the pair of former nobodies. With a gasp, Axel realized that not only did the new enemy have a pair of angelic white wings, but she had the exact same face and eye color of Hisana. The winged woman smirked at him.

"My, you really are handsome. No wonder we chose you." said the woman.

Axel and Roxas leapt back as the long spear slashed at them again.

"What do you mean, 'we'?"

"Can't you tell? I'm Hisana's other-self, Valkyrie."

Axel groaned as he readied himself for what he knew would be a difficult battle.

"I'm getting real tired of this shit..."

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

* * *

_**Evelyn**_

* * *

The oldest Koutari girl ran as fast as she could across the barren landscape. She knew exactly what her heartbroken younger sister's true intention was, and she had fled the castle in the pursuit of keeping it from happening. Evelyn didn't care that she had probably betrayed her closest friend's trust by slapping Axel and allowing Shinzo to try to force her feelings on Hisana. At least if the vampiress hated her now, then she could finally express her own hatred. Shinzo's scent became stronger as shimmering white ruins came into view. Evelyn's eyes widened a little in recognition. Even in its crumbling and decrepit state, she recognized the white crystal fortress that she had once called home. _This is...our house. This is where I was born...I can't believe I'd forgotten it after all this time. This world, this place of pain and eternal darkness, this is my home._ Her thought's were interrupted when the scent of blood suddenly arose in the air. A surge of terror went through her, and she doubled her speed. The tan demoness ran through ruined halls, ducked under falling debris, and leapt over rubble until she came across the source of the scent. The sight made Evelyn gasp in utter horror. Shinzo lay against what remained of a wall, and was currently in the process of cutting open her chest with her own sword. Blood and tears fell from the snow haired girl as she went about her deadly deed.

"It's all my fault...if only I hadn't lost control...I have to die...I don't want to hurt her again..." Shinzo paused as she split open an artery. "I'm a freak...a murderer...a monster...no one loves me...no one will miss me..."

"Stop..."

The younger girl froze for a moment upon hearing Evelyn's voice. Slowly, she turned to see the older girl's pained expression as tears fell down her face.

"Stop hurting yourself...I don't want you to die..."

Shinzo was too shocked by Evelyn's appearance to notice how much blood she had lost. Before she could formulate a response, her vision went black, and she collapsed. When Shinzo awoke again, she found herself laying on a large white bed, with bandages wrapped around her chest. She was about to sit up, when she felt something heavy keeping her down. Confused, the demoness turned to see Evelyn laying on top of her, with her arms wrapped protectively around her. Shinzo could see the remnants of tear stains on the older girl's face. _She was...crying. But why? I thought she hated me?_ Feeling the younger girl begin to stir, Evelyn's eyes slowly fluttered open. The older girl looked over to where Shinzo was staring at her, and fresh tears began to flow.

"Ev-"

The rest of the word died in her throat as Shinzo suddenly found herself locking lips with the tan girl. Evelyn kept them locked in this embrace for as long as she could until she had to breathe. Shinzo stared up at her in shock, a bright red blush spreading across her cheeks. Evelyn smiled sadly at the sight.

"Don't ever do that again, you big idiot. You had me so worried, what would I have done if I lost you?" she said softly.

"Evelyn...I don't understand...aren't you mad at me, after I..." Shinzo averted her gaze as guilt racked her mind. "I hurt you...I threatened to kill you if you got in the way...I'm the worst...so, why did you save me? Don't you want me gone?"

Evelyn shook her head without looking away. "No. I will never leave your side, Shinzo. Yes, you hurt me, and for a time I was sad. But, it was not your hand that gave me pain, it was your heart."

"My heart? But how could I-"

Then it hit her. She should have seen it long ago. There were more than enough signs. _There's something very important I need to tell you!...Why must it be her? She doesn't even love you!...I don't want to see you hurt yourself...I'm always worried about you...Please, don't get yourself killed...I don't want you to die... _How could she have been so blind? Evelyn was right, her heart had dealt her a greater blow than her hand ever could.

"You're...in love with me..." Shinzo whispered.

Evelyn nodded. "I knew that you wouldn't listen to me if I told you how I felt. You were too much in love with Hisana. Even still, I waited. I chose to hope that one day you would see how much I love you, that you would stop chasing after someone else. But, as time went on, I started to lose hope, especially when you left to pursue your feelings..."

More tears fell from the older girl's eyes, but her smile didn't fade.

"I worried about you day and night when you left. I was afraid that something terrible would happen, and I'd never see you again. I made a promise, that the next time I saw you, I would tell you the truth. But when you finally came back, you wouldn't listen. You told me we were sister's now, and that we could still be friends, just as we'd always been, and you could finally have Hisana..."

Finally, she could bear it no longer. Evelyn cried out in grief, and buried her face in her hands.

"I don't want to be friends! I want you to love me, not her! That's why I didn't approve, I was jealous! Jealous because even though I was your best friend, you chose your own sister instead! Jealous because she doesn't deserve you! Jealous because she doesn't want your heart, but I have always given you mine! I love you! So please, just please, don't leave me alone again!"

The older girl hugged Shinzo close, and buried her face in her shoulder. Shinzo watched Evelyn let out tears she had been holding back for most of her life, and felt the painful truth conveyed in her confession. Evelyn had always loved the younger girl, honestly and truly, but Shinzo was too blinded by her own selfish desires to see it, and in doing so had caused her closest friend, who had never once betrayed her trust nor wished her harm, to become horribly depressed and jealous. Feeling tears of her own beginning to form, Shinzo returned the embrace.

"I'm so sorry...I've hurt you so much...I've been such a fool...I'm so, so sorry Evelyn..." she said between sobs.

A few moments passed, and finally neither of them had tears left to shed. Evelyn sat up again, still holding onto the younger girl. Shinzo looked at her in confusion.

"Evelyn?"

"I have...a request..." she said it slowly. Whether it was from emphasis or uncertainty, it was unclear.

Either way, Shinzo was glad to do anything that could cheer up her friend. "Anything, name it."

The older girl gulped, and her eyebrows furrowed for a moment as she tried to come to terms with what she was about to say. "Do you promise...that you will accept my request, no matter what it might be?"

"I don't have to kill someone, do I?" she was half-joking.

"No, nothing like that."

"Then I promise, if it will make you happy again, I will do anything you ask."

Evelyn nodded. "Then, Shinzo Koutari, my...sister..."

The older girl's arms reached around and began undoing the bandages covering Shinzo's chest, while she used her tail to undo her top. Before the younger girl could try to protest, Evelyn pulled a hand back and cupped her cheek.

"Marry me."

The younger demoness paused. She had figured Evelyn would ask her for a night of romance or two, but marriage...she wasn't sure if she was ready to spend the rest of her life with someone like that. But then again, she had promised to honor the request, and seeing as how both of them were outcasts who didn't belong, if not Evelyn, then who? Shinzo smiled and put her hand on Evelyn's cheek.

"I will marry you, Evelyn Koutari."

At that, the older girl's eyes lit up with joy, possibly for the first time in several years. (Technically, she's 4. Physically, she's 40) Tears flowed from her eyes again, but this time out of happiness rather than pain. Evelyn leaned forward.

"Thank you." she whispered as their lips met.

They embraced like this for a few moments, until the need for air outweighed the passion they shared. Evelyn backed away from Shinzo for a moment, keeping a grip on her undone top.

"Now, it's time." she said.

"Time for what?" Shinzo asked in a sultry manner, since she had an idea of what her partner meant due to their barely held together clothing.

"Time for us to get married."

"Wait, really? Right now? But don't we need a pastor and guests and everything?"

"No. You see, both of us are demons, and thanks to some knowledge I gained recently, I learned that as demons we can establish a form of marriage that is much more...physical."

(**A/N: WARNING! M rated sexual content ahead. SECOND WARNING! the sex includes futanari. If you don't know what futanari is, read on and be scarred (or a fan of) for life. Otherwise, or if sex between two girls just isn't your thing, skip to the next A/N. Just remember, YOU WERE WARNED.**)

"Basically, either one or both of us marks the other during intercourse. The mark will signify us as mates." Evelyn explained.

"Kinky." Shinzo replied.

"Indeed. So, shall we begin?"

The younger girl nodded, and let go of her bandages. Evelyn mimicked the motion, and now both women were topless. Shinzo stared with a mix of envy and lust at Evelyn's rather large breasts, admiring their curves and their alluring dark skin tone. Evelyn reached out and first gently, then firmly grasped Shinzo's slightly smaller bosom. _Now I know how all those people who looked at my chest feel...these feel even more amazing than I thought they would. _the older girl thought as she massaged the soft mounds. The younger girl let out a surprised gasp as her cheeks turned a bright red. Evelyn seductively quirked an eyebrow at this.

"Oh? What's this? Not used to having someone touch you?"

"U-usually I'm the one doing the-Ahh!~touching. Plus, shouldn't I be making you feel good?"

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance to ravage me soon enough. Besides, just knowing that I can make you sound like this is making me feel good."

As if to prove her point, Evelyn lowered her head and gave one of Shinzo's nipples a long lick. The younger girl moaned at the contact, encouraging the older girl to take the nipple into her mouth while her hand took care of the other. Without realizing it, Shinzo's tail was shaking about in excitement. Evelyn saw the appendage out of the corner of her eye, and used her free hand to guide Shinzo's to her chest. The younger girl took the hint and gave the large mound a soft squeeze. Evelyn moaned lightly at this, causing Shinzo to smirk. Feeling mischievous, the older girl moved up a bit to place a series of tender kisses on the younger girl's neck. As the pleasure mounted, Shinzo became more and more aware of a growing constriction below her waist. It took her a moment to remember that she now had an 'extra part', and said part had decided to make its presence known. Evelyn paused for a moment to see why Shinzo had stopped treating her chest, and followed her gaze down to the bulge sticking up from the younger girl's crotch.

"Ah, I was wondering how long it would take to get you worked up." the older girl said.

Shinzo shot her a look of genuine surprise. "You mean you're not disgusted by...you know, 'it'?"

"Not at all. Actually, ever since I saw it earlier, I couldn't help but feel curious."

A feeling of relief washed over the younger girl. She had been worried that because of her unusual body, Evelyn would reject her. But apparently, the fact that said demoness was currently undoing the straps restricting her member said otherwise. Evelyn pulled off the garments in one swift motion, and gasped at seeing the other girl's length. Shinzo stared nervously down at the older girl for any signs of disgust. Instead, she saw interest and hunger.

"Amazing..." Evelyn whispered. "Can it come as well?"

"I-I don't know, I've never used it before."

Curious, Evelyn lightly stroked the tip of Shinzo's length with a finger, resulting in a loud hiss from the younger girl. Apparently it felt good. The older girl then slowly took hold of Shinzo's shaft and began to run her hand back and forth, earning several gasps and groans from the younger girl.

"Ahh~s-slow down! That's too sensitive!" Shinzo pleaded feebly.

Evelyn's excitement only increased, and she soon found the bravery to take first the tip, then nearly all of the younger girl's length into her mouth. Shinzo watched with pleasure and satisfaction as the older girl fervently sucked and licked her shaft with an expression of pure bliss. As she sucked, Evelyn reached down with one hand to touch her core, only half surprised at finding how wet she was. Shinzo could feel a pressure mounting within her, and knew she was close to release. Before she could get out a warning, the pleasure reached its peak, and with a cry of ecstasy Shinzo released her passion straight into Evelyn's mouth. The older girl released her lover's length when she found herself unable to swallow all of her seed, causing some of it to get on her face. The younger girl panted heavily for a few moments before checking on Evelyn.

"I'm sorry, it just felt so good that I couldn't-" Shinzo tried.

Evelyn wasn't listening. She was currently wiping the cum off her face with her fingers so she could put the rest in her mouth.

"It tastes warm and strange...yet also delicious..."

At seeing the older girl's highly sensual expression, Shinzo's length hardened again.

"My, it seems you are still ready to go. Well then, I believe its time for the real thing."

Evelyn sat up, and pulled down her lower garments. Shinzo stared hungrily at the sight of the older girl's womanhood, which was dripping wet in anticipation for what was about to come. Evelyn laid back down on the bed opposite the younger girl, and spread her legs and entrance wide. She saw the excitement in her lover's eyes, and smiled seductively.

"Make me yours, Shinzo."

The younger girl gulped nervously as she placed herself between Evelyn's legs. With some guidance from the older girl, Shinzo positioned her length at Evelyn's entrance. She shot the older girl one last questioning glance silently asking, _Are you sure?. _Evelyn nodded happily and took hold of the sheets. _I've always been sure. _Taking hold of the older girl's hips, Shinzo pulled back, then thrust inside her. Evelyn cringed as her virgin barrier was broken, and tightened her grip on the bedsheets. Shinzo saw blood begin to seep from where they were connected, and looked up worriedly at the older girl. Evelyn looked to be in pain for a moment, then she relaxed and gave an expression of bliss as she nodded for the younger girl to continue. Shinzo thrust in and out first at a slow pace, not wanting to cause the older girl any unnecessary pain.

"F-faster..." Evelyn managed.

Shinzo's pace increased, causing the older girl to start letting out loud moans of passion. The sound of Evelyn's blissful cries excited the younger girl, and encouraged her to go even faster. The older girl's moans became even louder, and her mouth hung wide open.

"Harder..."

Shinzo happily obliged the request, as the tightness and warmth of Evelyn's insides around her length were causing her to let out her own gasps and pants of ecstasy. Evelyn's hips began moving to match the younger girl's rhythm, making Shinzo gasp louder.

"It feels...amazing...inside you..." she said between thrusts.

"Ahh~I'm glad...that you...are my first...I'm so happy..."

Shinzo could feel the tension mounting inside her again, and new that she was close. However, she also knew that there would be consequences if she released inside of the older girl now.

"Evelyn...I'm...not gonna last much longer...I have to...pull out..."

At hearing this, the older girl clamped her legs tightly around Shinzo, preventing her from retracting herself.

"No...I want you...to cum...inside me..."

"But if I do that, you'll-"

"I know...I want us...to be a family...I'll have your child...please, don't pull out...don't run away again..."

"Evelyn..."

The older girl ground against her thrusts a few more times, and finally neither of them could hold out any longer. Both demoness's cried out each other's names as they released. Shinzo collapsed on top of Evelyn, still letting out her seed. To her surprise, the older girl lightly bit down on her shoulder.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"I told you before, one or more of us marks each other during intercourse. Once that happens, the two of us will remain connected for the rest of our lives."

"Connected?"

"Yes, our souls are now connected to each other. My strength is your strength, your power is my power, your heart and mine are one. Now no matter how far apart we are, we will always be able to feel each other."

(**A/N: end of M rated content**)

"I see...so we're officially married then, aren't we?"

Evelyn tenderly wrapped her arms around the younger girl. "Yes, now we are finally together. And I meant what I said, I will gladly carry our child."

Shinzo returned the embrace, and looked into the older girl's eyes. "Are you sure? A baby is a lot of responsibility. I don't know if I'm ready to be a parent, and there's still the tournament going on. And Hisana...what would she say? Can we really have a child when there is so much danger so close to us?"

Evelyn smiled at her lover and hugged her closer. "If it's danger and rejection you're worried about, then the answer is simple. We'll run away from it all."

"Run…away?"

"No more guardians, no more rejection, no more Hisana. Just you, me, and the new life that now grows within me. As long as I'm with you, then that's all I need to be happy."

Shinzo thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Yes, let's leave our pasts behind us. If I am to be a parent, then I will try to be the best goddamn parent I can."

Tears of joy began flowing from the older girl's eyes at this. "Thank you, thank you so much! I love you, Shinzo!"

The younger girl closed her eyes and tightened their embrace. "And I love you, Evelyn."

* * *

**Back at Gaia Knight's domain…**

* * *

Hisana grunted as she blocked yet another powerful blow from Gaia's twin greatswords. For some reason, none of her attacks seemed to have any effect on the other-self, and only slowed her advance. What was more, every blow that she landed carried the force of at least 20 other blows at once. As the vampiress sent a quick flurry of light strikes at her opponent, she glanced over at her allies. During their fight with Valkyrie, Roxas had been knocked unconscious, most likely due to his debilitating injuries, leaving Axel to face the spear and shield user alone. However, because the woman was the other-self of Hisana and had the same innocent expression, the pyro found it difficult to come to terms with causing Valkyrie any harm, and stuck to fighting defensively. Hearing the whoosh of large swords swinging, Hisana snapped back to her fight in time to dodge an attack aimed at her waist.

"**You must be wondering, how am I so strong?"** Gaia said as she attacked again. **"The reason is in my very being. Because I am an other-self, I draw power from my counterpart's emotional pain. Because Shinzo's heart is broken, I have become invincible!"**

The knight did a downward slash with both blades, the impact of which sent Hisana flying back into the wall of the room. The vampiress lost hold of her weapon upon colliding with the wall, but as she sat up to retrieve it, she felt the tip of one of Gaia's swords against her throat. The knight smiled insanely down at her.

"**It's over, little sister. Now, hold still, and I will make sure to break you as quickly and painlessly as possible."**

The other self raised her blades, and swung.

"_**Not quite." **_

_CLANG! _

Both Hisana and Gaia stared in surprise at the new figure standing between them. A pale skinned woman, slightly taller than Hisana, had suddenly appeared from nowhere and blocked Gaia's greatsword with a white katana with a black edge. The woman had long white hair tied into two uneven pigtails, and wore a white jacket with black stripes down the sides and a black star on the back, a white bra over her small bosom, short shorts that were partially unzipped, and knee high combat boots. The woman had a crazed smile on her face that rivaled Gaia's, and had piercing red eyes, the right of which had a brilliant red flame burning out of it.

"_**I haven't even had a chance to say hello."**_

Not far away, Axel was about to be skewered by Valkyrie.

"**Honestly…"**

A hand covered in bone like white armor reached out from the shadows and stopped the blade dead in its tracks.

"**Kids these days are so hopeless."**

The voice and hand belonged to a demonic looking woman whose entire body was covered in the same armor as her arm, and had hooves in place of feet. A whole was visible on her midsection, and a skeletal tail hung from her waist. The woman's face was that of a skull with burning blue eyes, and her hair was composed entirely of blue hellfire. All four of the conscious combatants split apart from the newcomers, the other-selves to one side and Hisana and Axel to another. The red eyed woman was the first to speak.

"_**Well Hisana, I must say I'm quite surprised at how effective your wish was. I honestly didn't think that I'd be released into reality in a million years." **_ she said.

"**Same here," **added the demoness. **"To think that I would be resurrected alongside you is a unexpected, but not unwelcome surprise."**

Axel looked over at his girlfriend in confusion. "Hisana, what the hell are they talking about? Do you know these people?"

Trembling in anxiety, the vampiress nodded. "I do. At least, I recognize the one with red eyes. She's called Ivory-"

"_**Actually, it's White Rock Shooter now."**_

"-and she's the other-self of my mother. I don't recognize the other one though."

"**What? You can't tell? Don't you see the resemblance?"** the demoness growled angrily.

"_**They can't tell because you're wearing your mask, dear."**_

"**Huh? Oh, you're right! Thanks for reminding me." **

The flames surrounding the demoness's head dissipated, and the skull face dissolved. Under the mask, the woman had chestnut brown hair with an orange barrette in it, and bright amber eyes. She smirked smugly at Hisana and Axel's surprised faces.

"There, now do you understand?" she said in a more human voice.

"Those eyes…they're the same as Evelyn's…" Axel stated.

"Could it be…are you…" Hisana began.

"That is correct. I am Evelyn's father, Yuu Koutari. Though you may better know me as…Fury."

Both the pyro and the vampiress felt a wave of dread pass over them. Both were well aware that the women standing before them were undoubtedly two of the most vile and deadly agents of evil in the multiverse.

"Relax, we're not here to kill you." Yuu explained.

"_**Quite the opposite, actually. We've come to lend you a hand." **_added White.

"But, why? Aren't you both evil?" inquired Axel.

"_**Because, my future son-in-law," **_the pyro and Hisana blushed. _**"Oh come on, I'm not that out of the loop. Anyway, we've decided to set aside our maniacally merry malicious ways to do what we think is right. In other words, save your asses."**_

"Now that that's out of the way," Yuu continued, turning back to Gaia and Valkyrie. "Shall we pick up where they left off?"

"_**Of course. So, which do you want? The big bitch or the puppet?" **_

"Hmm, think I'll go with the puppet on this one."

"_**Heh, I was hoping you'd say that. Just try not to kill her. Completely."**_

"No guarantees." Yuu turned to Axel. "Oi! Prettyboy! You're with me."

Axel gulped. "W-w-who m-me?"

"Did I fucking stutter? Get your ass over here!"

"Y-yes ma'am!"

The demoness and the pyro split away from the group to face Valkyrie. Yuu chuckled evilly to herself as an immense aura of blue hellfire surrounded her.

"Let me show you how you're supposed to play with fire…"

White put a hand on Hisana's shoulder as the two of them stood before an enraged Gaia Knight.

"_**Do not be fooled by her lies. She may look like Shinzo, but she is nothing like the real thing. You can show her no mercy, understand?"**_

Reluctantly, Hisana nodded. White smiled, and a white and black cannon materialized over her free hand as they sprang into battle. With the addition of the two veteran warriors, the tide quickly turned against Gaia and Valkyrie. Soon enough, Hisana's other-self was laying on the ground with Yuu's hoof resting victoriously on her back. Even Gaia had been forced to fall back under the combined onslaught of her mother and sister. The knight bared her teeth in anger after a blast from White's cannon sent her to her knees.

"**No! I won't lose to you!"** she yelled.

The other-self tried to raise her weapons to attack again. Suddenly, they began to actually feel heavy in her hands, and she could barely lift the hilts half a foot off the ground.

"**Wha-what is this? Why am I suddenly so…weak…?"**

Over where Yuu stood on her beaten opponent, Valkyrie began to cringe and squirm in pain. The demoness stared at her in confusion for a moment, then the sound of cracking glass drew her attention to the many windows in the room. The broken halves of each image were starting to repair themselves, with a depiction of someone else in place of Hisana at Shinzo's side. Gaia's eyes narrowed in confused horror at the scene.

"**Impossible…her heart has healed?! But how? Only Hisana can bring her happiness!" **

The images finished repairing themselves, and Yuu beamed with pride.

"Apparently not." then she added with a whisper. "My little girl has finally found love."

Now instead of Hisana, the windows showed Evelyn and Shinzo standing side by side, hand in hand. Valkyrie slowly lifted herself off the floor, rubbing her head.

"Ohhhh….my head…what happened?" she said in a much calmer voice than before.

Upon setting her gaze on a terrified Gaia Knight, Valkyrie narrowed her eyes in anger.

"Gaia!"

"**Valkyrie! You're feeling better! Thank goodness, I was getting worried that-" **the knight began nervously.

"Don't you dare try to lie! You tricked me! You made me think that helping Shinzo get my other would be a good thing, but you knew I wouldn't listen!"

"**N-no, I didn't-"**

"I remember everything, Gaia. You used me…you forced yourself on me…you made your other try to force yourself on mine!"

The entire room's occupants now glared at the knight with hatred and disbelief.

"So that's what she meant…" Hisana began, an unusual layer of anger lacing over her tone. "Shinzo didn't try to rape me, _**you**_ did!"

"And to think, I yelled at her for doing something so horrible…" Axel muttered.

Gaia returned the glares. **"I did what I had to! It was the only way to make Hisana fall for Shinzo!"**

"By forcing her love onto someone who doesn't want it? Yeah, as if. Trust me, I know all too well how that works." Yuu spat.

White walked over to the weakened other-self, and glared down at her in disappointment and anger.

"_**No daughter of mine, no matter how twisted they may be, would have ever committed such a crime. You will be punished dearly for your actions, of that I am most certain."**_

White rested the tip of her sword an inch from the knight's face. Gaia merely scoffed.

"**If you kill me, you will destroy her pain. But, that also means she will forget the source of that pain. In other words…"** she glared straight at Hisana. **"Strike me down, and any feeling she had towards you will be lost. She will forget she ever loved you."**

White glanced over at the vampiress, silently asking for her decision. Hisana knew that for once the knight was telling the truth, and that Shinzo might never be the same if they ever met again. But then she saw the image of the older girl and Evelyn together, smiling happily. _If she has finally found someone who can love her for who she is, then it does not matter if her thoughts of me disappear. Shinzo deserves to be happy, and if I must sacrifice my bond to her in order to ensure that happiness, then so be it._ Having made her decision, the vampiress looked back at White and nodded. As the senior other-self raised her weapon to strike, Gaia sent her one last glare.

"**I hope you burn in h-"**

Her final words were cut short as her head was severed from her shoulders in a single blow. The knight's lifeless body collapsed to the floor, slowly turning into a pile of red ash. Yuu sighed at the other-self's passing.

"Fool. Love is not something that can be forced or won over. It can only happen once those who are lost can find it. Then, and only then, can it be called true love."

If only they knew what tragedy was soon to come…

* * *

**3 Guardians Remaining…**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Game Over**

* * *

**Outside Gaia's Domain, sometime after…**

* * *

"I see. So because Ebony absorbed you into her soul, you became a part of her. So when White was resurrected, so were you." Axel said after receiving a lengthy explanation.

Yuu nodded. "Pretty much, yeah."

"I'm still surprised though. About you guys saving us. For the longest time the only thing I knew about you was that you were a…well…how should I put this?"

"An insane psychotic bitch who murdered millions and tried to plunge the multiverse into hell?" she was half joking.

"Y-yeah, something like that. But if that's true, then why did you save us? I'll admit you seem a little short tempered, no offense-"

"None taken."

"—but other than that you seem to be a fairly decent person. I've heard about your motives, and though your actions were a little extreme, I can see why you did what you did. How can they just label you a monster, when you're really not that evil?"

Yuu released a heavy sigh. "You should know that as well as I do. People are cruel. They only remember you for the crimes you've committed or the destruction you've caused. It's hard for them to forgive you for being a monster, but it's very easy for them to forget that they were the ones that made you a monster in the first place."

Axel nodded solemnly. Hoping to lighten the mood again, he then asked.

"So, what's the deal with you and White? Are you guys together or something?"

"…you could say that."

Yuu looked over at the woman in question. White Rock Shooter was currently standing beside Valkyrie, making sure the younger other-self apologized profusely to Hisana and Roxas. Axel noticed a faint smile creep onto the demoness's face as she watched them.

"Come to think of it, White doesn't seem all that bad either. Sure she's intimidating as shit, especially with those red eyes and that creepy pre-rape smile, but aside from that she almost seems…friendly."

"White was alone for a long time. She could see Ebony's life unfold from her mind, and could feel the bonds she made with others, but it only made her even lonelier. Then Ebony absorbed my soul, and I joined her in her empty world."

Yuu chuckled lightly. "You should have seen her then. She was so happy to finally have somebody she could feel and talk to, somebody to end her loneliness, somebody to love her and make her happy."

The fire users watched as White finished scolding Valkyrie, just before pulling both her and Hisana into a group hug. Now Axel smiled at the scene.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if White was Hisana's real mother. She seems to resemble her a lot more than Ebony. Who knows, maybe someday you and her will have a boy or girl to-"

"White can't have children."

Axel paused. He looked over at Yuu, whose smile had become more sad than gentle.

"We tried every method we could think of, but it seems that she is physically incapable of having a baby. She cried for a long time when Hisana and Shinzo were born, because even though they were her daughters as much as Ebony's, they would never know how much she cared about them. Now that we're free, she wants to make up for all the time she's lost."

Axel remained silent for a time, stunned at the revelation. He glanced back at White and the others. The pale woman was now laughing with both halves of her daughter as she held them close. Even though she had her usual sadistic smile on, Axel could plainly see the maternal love behind it. Yuu hid her sorrow as the other members of their group approached.

"Come, that's more than enough sad talk for now."

"Thank you for saving us… um, is it alright if I call you Mrs. Koutari?" Hisana said as she neared the demoness.

"It's alright to just call me Yuu, or Evelyn's dad if that's what you prefer. Although, considering recent events, it's more like Aunt Yuu."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Yuu smirked. "Oh? White didn't tell you? Evelyn and Shinzo are married now."

Axel, Hisana, Valkyrie, and Roxas's jaws practically dropped to the floor in surprise.

"MARRIED?!" they said in unison.

"_**Oh yes, I forgot to mention that. Well, and the fact that the process of the marriage results in me and Yuu getting bumped to grandparent status~" **_White added snidely.

"Ahh, my little girl is all grown up! It was only her first time and she's already having a baby~"

"EVELYN'S PREGNANT?!"

"_**Considering how many more times they did the deed once they married, it'd be unbelievable if she wasn't."**_

Everyone but Hisana, who amazingly was able to disregard her mother's implications, fainted. The vampires stood in shock.

"Then, that means-" she began.

Yuu nodded. "Shinzo has finally accepted her feelings. They plan to run away together, and it's quite possible they won't see you again for some time."

Hisana felt a mixture of relief and regret. She was happy that her best friend and her former sibling were together, but she couldn't help but feel saddened over the fact that she had now severed all ties Shinzo. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw White smiling fondly at her.

"_**It'll take a while, but they'll come back. And when they do, we'll all find a way to work things out. I know we will." **_

Hisana was surprised to hear such comforting words from the other-self, but it was quickly replaced by confusion.

"Wait, how do you know they're married, and that they…you know…"

"Easy. I have the power to peer into the minds of others, so I looked into my daughter's mind, and found out everything." seeing the mortified look on the vampiress's face, she then added with a smirk. "I didn't watch them for long, but if you really want to know what happened…"

"No thanks, I'm good." Hisana replied instantly.

_Still, at least they're finally happy. _The vampires smiled. _Good luck you two, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful life together._

Just then, the ground began to shake violently, and pillar of blue hellfire exploded skyward, seeming to reach all the way into space. At the same time of the explosion, a terrible cry of agony rang out over the world. By now the group had all regained conscious, and were wide eyed with fear. They all knew the voice, but it was Yuu that named its owner. Her lips trembled with fear as she whispered.

"Evelyn…not you too…"

* * *

**Elsewhere...**

* * *

"Tsuyo-sa, hurry up!" Kurai called.

The sword smith and the short girl had left Windbloom the moment he had gotten a fix on Shinzo and Hisana's location. Kurai was well aware of the former's recent transformation, and knew there was not much time left to prevent the apocalypse. He originally planned to go alone, but Tsuyo-sa had pleaded to accompany him, reasoning that since her older sister was most likely with the twins, she wanted to make sure she was safe. The girl didn't appear to have an ulterior motive, and the cute puppy eyes she had used convinced Kurai that she might be useful anyway. Tsuyo-sa had certainly proven so when they encountered Tabuu, the final guardian of the Otherworld. Thanks to the addition of the girl's strength, they were able to quickly dispose of the threat, though not without taking quite a few hits themselves.

"So when we find her, what will you do?" Tsuyo-sa asked, having been given a quick briefing on the prophecy.

"It won't be easy, but hopefully I will be able to convince Shinzo to let go of her feelings. The safety of the multiverse is important, but I'd rather not shed any more blood if I can avoid it."

"If you're worried about Shinzo bedding Hisana, then you're wasting your time." a new voice called out.

Kurai and Tsuyo-sa paused and turned in the direction of the speaker. Sitting upon the remains of a building was none other than Felicity, smiling with all her mad glee.

"Who are you? And what do you mean, 'wasting my time'?" demanded the sword smith.

"Oh come on, you seriously haven't figured it out yet? Geez, I don't have the power to see the future and even I saw it coming! Both literally and figuratively."

"Goddammit, I don't have time for your games! What is it that I haven't figured out?"

Felicity shook her head at the sword smith. "Man, no wonder he calls you a fool. The prophecy was that Shinzo would mate with her sister, and from their union the child of destruction, shall be given flesh. Tell me, is Hisana Shinzo's sister right now?"

"Of course not, her sister is-" he froze._  
_

Tsuyo-sa shot the sword smith a look of concern. "Kurai, what is it?"

Kurai fell down on one knee, and brought a hand up to his face. "It can't be...how did I not see it before?"

Felicity broke out in a fit of hysterical laughter. "Hahaha! So you finally realized the truth! God, you're such an idiot!"

"I don't understand, what's she talking about?" Tsuyo-sa inquired.

The vampiress grinned down at the short girl. "The truth behind the child of destruction's mother. You see, it's not Hisana who's destined to bear Shinzo's offspring. No, the real mother is-"

Suddenly, Felicity's mad grin disappeared, and her joyful expression turned to one of shock and hate.

"No way...she told me he was dead..."

For reasons unknown, the ground began to shake violently, and a humongous pillar of blue hellfire erupted from somewhere in the distance. The eruption was immediately followed by a cry of agony that reached the far corners of the world.

* * *

**The remains of Fury's Fortress, a few moments before the explosion...**

* * *

Shinzo Koutari stared dreamily up at the starless black sky. Evelyn lay curled up smiling beside her, exhausted after the hours of love making they shared. The younger girl's hand traveled to her wife's stomach, where she felt a faint life begin to stir. Evelyn reached down with her own hand and intertwined their fingers. The feeling of the one she loved beside her, and the new life she had to look forward to were all the older girl could ask for. Still, there was one thing that bothered her. At one point during their bonding, Shinzo had suddenly paused, and a partially dead look entered her eyes. It disappeared before she had the chance to inquire about it, and at the time she wasn't in any condition to think straight. No matter, there would be plenty of time to talk with her husband about it later. They had the rest of their lives together, after all. The younger girl shared in the joy of her wife, and was already looking forward to seeing their child's smiling face. According to Evelyn, it would take half a year for the baby to develop completely. Shinzo could hardly wait. The younger girl shot a glance at the far wall of the demolished room, where pair of twin katanas in red sheath's sat beside a single one in an amber sheath. Like Evelyn had said, they now shared power, and because of that the older girl had been granted a zanpakutou of her own, though its name was a mystery. Shinzo inhaled deeply and looked back up at the sky. For once in her life, everything was perfect. Sighing contently, the younger girl was about to drift back into sleep. Suddenly, a foul odor reached her nose. Recognizing it at once, she sat up in alarm, and turned to the side. The long silver barrel of a high caliber handgun was waiting there, along with a pair of hateful red eyes.

"You forgot one soul..."

_Click!_

"Mine."

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Evelyn wasn't sure how it happened. Not even a minute ago, she was holding hands with her beloved as they lay in bed. The next thing she knew, there were gaping holes in Shinzo's eye and chest, and then she was covered in a spray of green/black blood. Shinzo fell limply to the bed, and in front of her stood a dark haired man with blood red eyes and clothing holding a smoking gun. In just mere seconds, her true love, and the future that awaited them together, was gone. Trembling, Evelyn scooped up Shinzo's limp form into her arms. Tears began streaming from her eyes faster than they ever had before.

"Shinzo?" she said weakly.

The younger girl did not respond.

"Shinzo?"

Her scent grew faint.

"Please, don't..."

The stench of death rose.

"Don't do this...please, don't go..."

Using the last of her strength, Shinzo looked up at Evelyn and lifted a hand to the older girl's cheek. The younger girl tried to speak, but because one of the bullets had pierced her lung, all she could do was mouth her last words. Nonetheless, Evelyn could make out what her husband was trying to say.

_"Thank you, Evelyn...I love you..."_

Barely able to talk from the sheer shock of what had just happened, the older girl could only nod. "I love you too."

A ghost of a smile formed on the younger girl's lips. Then, her eyes went blank, and was still. Evelyn didn't move. The sudden loss came so fast and left so great a void in the older girl's life that she wasn't sure how to respond. Rage, terror, and sorrow coursed through every fiber of her being, so much so that it was impossible to react on just one emotion. While she silently grieved, Alucard released a heavy sigh.

"At last, all is as it should be. Now the multiverse is no longer in danger." he said before letting out a huff. "What a waste, she could have been so much more. But the stupid bitch just wouldn't listen to reason, she insisted on pursuing her feelings for Hisana, and now she has finally paid the price."

A second figure clad in red emerged from the shadows, with darkness in place of her left arm.

"But master, did you really have to kill her? She didn't seem to be hurting anyone."

Alucard turned toward the newcomer. "You may not have seen it, police girl, but that woman committed several heinous crimes during her travels. She was so obsessed with bedding her own sister, that the only thing I could do was kill her. If I didn't, she would've impregnated Hisana and fathered Ryunoko, the child of destruction. And if that's not all, she nearly killed me!"

Ceras's eyes widened in surprise. "She almost beat you?!"

"Yes, and were it not for the intervention of that strange growling fellow in the black cloak, I would have lost all my souls and burned to death. But thankfully, I was able to escape and put an end to the little traitor in time."

The no-life king looked back at Evelyn, who was still staring down at her lover's corpse with tears flowing from her eyes. Though Ceras felt a pang of guilt at the sight, Alucard merely scoffed and walked over to the demoness with an angry scowl on his face.

"Why do you grieve? She was fated to bring about the end of all of us. But then again, I don't suppose it would be that bad if you were to disappear."

Ceras turned back toward her master in surprise.

"You know, despite her insane desires, Shinzo was still a vampire brought about from my blood. She still had honor. But she threw it all away when she became one of _you_. Instead of remaining a proud member of the Takanashi family, she chose to defile herself and become a demon of you worthless _Koutari's_! You are nothing but a bunch of sad, jealous whores who only know how to hate! No one loves you, no one cares! You're nothing but trash!"

"Master, stop it! She hasn't done anything to us!" Ceras tried.

"Why should I stop? She knows it's the truth! It doesn't matter if she tries to change, in the end they're all the same! Outcasts who try to belong, when they know they'll never be accepted! You think Shinzo loved you? Ha! Preposterous! She was fated to long for Hisana, not you! You are nothing but a sad and lonely harlot, just like your father!"

Alucard loaded a fresh magazine into his gun and pointed it at the demoness's head.

"I should just do us all a favor and kill you right here and now to save everyone else the trouble!"

"Master, don't!"

Alucard pulled the trigger. To the surprise of both him and Ceras, the bullet incinerated upon coming in contact with Evelyn. All of a sudden, a flaming blue aura sprung up around the demoness.

**"Unforgivable..." **her voice was suddenly deeper and slightly distorted.

Slowly, Evelyn turned around to face the vampires. Although her face was void of any emotion, her eyes were now glowing a fiery bright blue, and her irises had become ringed.

**"She endured so much cruelty from you people, but taking away the one thing she held most dear, that is absolutely unforgivable!"**

A blue aura appeared around the zanpakutou with the amber sheath, and the sword immediately flew to the girl's waiting hand. Without taking her eyes off of Alucard, Evelyn drew her sword.

**"Punish and avenge, Jigoku no Hofuku." **(hell's retribution)

The aura surrounding Evelyn engulfed her, and when she emerged again she was holding a 3ft long shaft with curved forked blades on either end of the shaft. Each end of the dual spear was covered in hellfire. Too stunned at the sheer power radiating from the girl, Alucard could only watch as she rose the weapon in a throwing position.

**"Fukushu no kokuso." **(black spear of vengeance)

Instantly, she flung her arm forward, hurling the spear through the no-life king. Alucard collapsed to his knees as he began to turn to ash. Evelyn's hate filled eyes glared down at him.

**"You have failed, vampire. Shinzo has already planted the seed that will become Ryunoko. It is not Hisana Takanashi that will give birth to the child of destruction. It is EVELYN KOUTARI."**

It was the last thing Alucard heard before he was completely incinerated, not even leaving ash behind. Evelyn then turned toward Ceras, who was trembling after seeing her master so easily obliterated. The vampiress cringed as the demoness grabbed her throat.

**"Because your hand in this was merely that of an observer, I will spare your life. In return, I have a message I want you to deliver. Do you understand me, vampire swine?" **

Ceras fearfully nodded her head.

**"Good, then listen closely. The time has come for the insolent fools of the multiverse to pay for what they have done. Because of them, Shinzo has perished, and with her Evelyn's love and happiness. Now, only I am left to carry out her will. Just as my father was named Fury for the hatred in her heart, I shall be known as Strife for the pain within mine. If the people of the multiverse want us to become the monster they claim us to be, then they will get exactly what they desire. Now, begone from my sight!"**

Strife tossed Ceras to the ground. The terrified vampiress immediately nodded in understanding before fleeing from the premises. Strife then turned back to Shinzo's body, which remained unharmed by the deadly flames raging around her. The demoness picked up her fallen love and held her close.

**"You did not deserve to die like this. Evelyn was finally happy, finally able to look forward to a life of love and joy. But now that you have passed, she can no longer suppress me. I will avenge you, just as I will avenge Evelyn. I promise, I will find a way to bring you back, for both our sakes. Ryunoko shall not be fatherless. There is much to do, but for now, I will allow her to grieve." **

Strife closed her eyes, and unleashed a terrible cry of pain and loss. As the sorrow within her and Evelyn's heart was released, the aura of hellfire that surrounded her skyrocketed, not stopping until it had seemed to reach up into the heavens.

* * *

**Unknown Location, meanwhile...**

* * *

Marluxia was absolutely furious as he stood before his arc-guardians. Now only Grimmjow and Sephiroth remained as the final defense before all the multiverse's competitors arrived to confront him. He still had not built up enough Nobodies to form a full army, and due to his terms at the beginning of the tournament he would soon be forced to open the doorway to his world. Not only that, but he still had not managed to find a solution to his own personal 'problem'.

"What the hell are we gonna do now, boss?!" Grimmjow demanded angrily.

"It is only the two of us now, so it will not be long before they come here. I hate to admit it, but even I will most likely die when faced against such odds." added Sephiroth.

"Both of you just calm the fuck down!" shouted the overseer, slamming his fists down on his desk for emphasis.

Both the arrancar and the swordsman paused in surprise. For Marluxia to actually swear, he must have been pretty damn angry. The overseer collected himself as best he could in his furious state before continuing.

"I am well aware of our situation, I do not need a reminder. I just need a little more time to think of a solution-"

"I'm afraid you've long run out of time, Marluxia." a new voice said.

Both arc-guardians eyes widened at the sound. They knew the voice and who it belonged to all too well. The room's occupants turned toward a swirling black portal that suddenly appeared at the back. Out of the portal stepped a man with short white hair and grey eyes clad in shining white armor. The man grinned sinisterly upon catching sight of Grimmjow and Sephiroth.

"Hello gentlemen, did you miss me?"

"White Steel Wrath?!" both arc-guardians said at once.

"In the flesh."

"But...but how?! Didn't your counterpart die?" stated Sephiroth.

"Yes, but thanks to your so called 'boss', he and I have been resurrected."

Grimmjow shot a glance at Marluxia. "You brought this fucker's counterpart back as a Nobody?!"

"I...I didn't think it would carry the same effect if it was a Nobody..."

"Well, it does. And now that I've returned, I've decided that it's high time you stepped down from your throne, you foolish pretender."

Before Marluxia could make a retort, Wrath summoned his axe and cut open his robes. The overseer staggered back in pain and alarm as a small pendant in the shape of an hourglass revealed itself. Within the hourglass was a small amount of black sand.

"Just as I thought, your body is incomplete." Wrath explained. "That sand in there, those are your own remains, aren't they? If I had to guess I'd say it was back when you were playing spy for Yuu. As soon as she died, you began to burn up, just like everyone else. But, somehow, you managed to seal your ashes within that trinket, as well as the power that was bestowed upon you during your service. After that it was simple. You just had to build up enough power to restore your body and be able to command the Gehenna Gate, which you used to summon your initial three arc-guardians and begin this game. But in doing so, you used up the last of your real power, leaving you with just enough to call up an army. At least, until your lifeline was damaged by a certain blonde brat, then it was gone completely. Sound about right?"

Marluxia grit his teeth. Everything the other-self said was true. "How...how did you find this place? I have not yet lowered the barrier!"

Wrath smirked and held out his free hand. "I'll show you."

Within moments, an ornate looking weapon in the shape of a key materialized.

"You know what this is, don't you?"

The overseer's eyes widened. "A keyblade?!"

"So you do remember it. You should also remember then, that these weapons have a particularly useful ability: opening gateways to other dimensions."

Marluxia glared with all the hatred he could muster at the other-self. "You bastard!"

"Hmph, is that seriously the best thing you can say right now? No matter, it is time for you to leave this life. Farewell, pretender!"

With that, Wrath brought both his weapons down on the overseer. There was a cry of pain as the blows landed, followed by a burst of dark energy as Marluxia faded from existence. Wrath stood up with a smirk of satisfaction as he turned to Sephiroth and Grimmjow, who had their weapons readied for battle.

"Gentlemen, are you sure you want to do that? I think you'll find it to be much easier on yourselves to just accept me as your master." he warned.

"As if! Give us one good reason why we shouldn't duke it out right here, right now!"

"Two words: Night Terror."

"Night Terror?"

As if on que, a monstrous roar sounded throughout the room, just before a large orb of flame appeared beside Wrath.

"You may have known him previously as Roxfienn, a Nobody of Inferno that Marluxia created. Inferno is the very spirit of Soul Edge itself, so all I had to do was point him in the direction of the cursed sword. When he found it in its ultimate form, he joined with it and became the almighty abomination of evil known as Night Terror. He is so powerful in fact, that I have trouble keeping a firm hold over him."

The fiery orb dissipated, and a nightmarish being was revealed. It was at least 8 feet tall, had large wings made solely out of fire, a long tail, and a hulking body covered in teeth, red scales, spikes, and volcanic fissures. In its maw like claws it held Soul Edge, which now had rows of teeth that stretched along the inner length of the sword.

"The choice is yours, gentlemen." Wrath continued. "You can either join me, or be consumed by Night Terror. Better choose fast, I can practically feel my control slipping."

Both arc-guardians were well aware of the dark power radiating from the monster, and it frightened them to an extent. Reluctantly, they laid down their weapons and dropped down on one knee. Wrath chuckled darkly at this.

" I knew you'd make the right choice. Now come, it is time for me to inform the others."

* * *

In the sky above every world in the multiverse, the humongous dark sphere cast forth a hologram of White Steel Wrath.

_"Greetings, people of the_ multiverse." it began._ "It is I, White Steel Wrath. Yes, that's right, the very same White Steel Wrath that made you all aware of other worlds. Where is Marluxia, you ask? I can happily tell you that he is no longer with us, and thus has passed on his tournament and domain to me. For my first act as ruler, I will reveal to you what the pretender has been keeping secret for so long."_

The dark sphere began to dissipate, revealing an enormous castle floating beneath a brilliant and luminous light.

_"Do you all see that light above my new castle? That was the source of Marluxia's power. It is the prize that would have awaited the winner of his game. What is it? Quite simply, it is both creation and destruction, the very center of the multiverse. The power to give life, to rewrite time, to become a god. It lies there, only a few hundred miles from my castle. At present, I cannot reach it. But, in honor of the late Marluxia, I will uphold his promise of handing over this power to anyone who can brave my armies and defeat me. However, there is one thing I want to make perfectly clear."_

The hologram's smirk faded into an angry frown.

_"This game, is over. From now on, until the end of my reign..._

_WE ARE AT WAR."_

* * *

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**

* * *

**A/N: ** and so ends the new tournament. Now, before you all get mad at me and say this was a crap ending, please know that I wrote this with a sequel in mind. (don't worry, the next story will be the last in this series.) The next story will be entitled "The Reign of Wrath", and should be up within a few weeks. (after all this, I need a break T_T) Regardless, hope you enjoyed this story and look forward to the grand finale. Please leave a review! Until next time, DarkNovelist out.

**PS: **I promise that the final ending will be much happier


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